And to make an end is to make a beginning
by vampyr-eternal
Summary: Sarah is taken back to the Labyrinth and she's less than happy about it. Between re-designing the Labyrinth, dealing with jealous rivals and finding her footing with the King, integrating herself into her new life isn't an easy task.
1. Chapter 1

Sarah awoke to silence, broken only by the beating of her own heart. For a few seconds she registered nothing out of the ordinary; she couldn't remember the last time she'd slept through the entire night. She was a light sleeper and hers was not a quiet dormitory. Which is what made the silence so strange. In a dorm with 103 students, to have complete silence, even at 3am, was unheard of.

Warily Sarah sat up in bed, straining to hear any sound. The silence was eerie. And worrying. Sarah switched on her bedside lamp and went to get out of bed, intent on investigating to make sure everything was okay. She never got further than putting one foot on the floor.

"And here I thought you'd never wake up."

She hadn't heard the voice in six years, but she recognised it immediately. His voice held a velvet caress, but it was overpowered, as always, by his mocking tone. Sarah remained with her head down for a few seconds more, trying to get her breathing under control as her heart tried to jump through her chest. As she slowly raised her head to look at the man leisurely reclining against her door, the memories invaded her mind. He took her breath away, just as he had the first time she'd seen him. That first time, years ago, on a night when a crying baby had suddenly gone silent...

"You can hardly blame me Jareth, I get woken up every night by the noise in this dormitory, why would I wake up the one night you make it quiet?"

She didn't like the anger in her voice, she knew it wasn't even directed at him, but borne from countless nights of interrupted sleep. The thought that she was not made out for dormitory life passed once more through her mind, but this was not the time for those doubts.

"How very perceptive, but yes, after waiting three hours for your dorm_mates_" The sarcasm was thick in his voice on the last syllable "to go to sleep, I decided I would have to intervene. Don't worry, they'll all awake in the morning feel light and refreshed."

The mocking tone was back, but Sarah was glad it was no longer directed at her. She couldn't help but laugh at the thought that she wasn't the only one who hated the noise in this place.

"You find this amusing?" His voice had gone hard now, and this time it was directed at Sarah.

"Yes I do." She replied, refusing to be intimidated. "I find it highly amusing that you create quiet in this dormitory for the first time since us students moved in, making it the first night I could actually sleep through the entire night, and yet you do it for the sole purpose of making sure we're not interrupted when you wake me up."

The anger was back. She hated this, hated what these sleepless nights were doing to her. Closing her eyes she took a few deep breaths to calm herself and when she opened her eyes again she caught the concern on Jareth's face as he studied her. The look was gone instantly, leaving Sarah to wonder if she'd imagined it, but she wasn't given long to think.

"Indeed, I felt it was time we had a talk."

"A talk?" Sarah asked, curious now but still wary. "You've been out of my life for eight years and now you want to talk?"

"I shall rephrase that Sarah, we need to talk."

Her wariness was beginning to edge into fear now. His voice was too hard, his expression too serious. She couldn't imagine what topic would be serious enough that he would feel the need to appear in her bedroom in the middle of the night.

"I'd like to state that this was not my idea, but the Underground is facing some difficulties right now and so the Labyrinth has decided the time has come to contact some old runners."

The fear shot through her at his words, full blown now and extremely potent. She had grasped years ago that the purpose of the Labyrinth was to make people appreciate the person they were wishing away, and yet the fear that someday the Goblin King might return to take Toby away had never left her. Her thoughts were so clear in her face that the Goblin King sought to reassure her.

"Sarah there is no need to fear, Toby is safe, as he has always been. This matter is in regards to you and a few other runners, those you wished away are yours to keep, so please stop worrying and concentrate on what I'm about to tell you."

Sarah felt her apprehension fade away, but it lingered on the edge of her conscious, ready to return at any careless word pertaining to Toby's safety. However, now the immediate threat had been erased, Jareth had Sarah's full attention.

"Sarah, on your trip through the Labyrinth, my subjects grew... attached to you. This is not unique, but neither is it a common event. Very few who run the Labyrinth take the time to appreciate its inhabitants. You not only noticed them, you interacted with them, even befriended some. This is partly why you, along with a few other special runners, are remembered by the Labyrinth. You left an imprint on both the land and its people. In times of change or unrest, the Labyrinth has been known to call those who left an impression on it. It cannot have escaped your notice that after years of silence you've suddenly begun to dream about your time in the Underground."

Sarah sat stunned at his words. It was true that the Labyrinth was often in her thoughts during the day, but never at night. Not until the last few weeks anyway. Between the constant noise in the dormitory and her strangely real dreams, she felt like she wasn't sleeping at all. She didn't have long to dwell on these thoughts however as Jareth wasn't finished.

"Most people who run the Labyrinth follow the same path. Tests and obstacles are re-used time and time again. But every so often, a runner appears with an imagination so great, they infect the land around them."

"You make me sound like a disease." Sarah interrupted, grimacing slightly.

"Only in the best possible way." Jareth replied, grinning charmingly before continuing. "The land steals ideas from inside your mind, shaping the landscapes to fit the test you need. The stair room at the end, for example, never existed before you set foot in the castle."

"Technically that wasn't my imagination, that was genius of Escher." Sarah interrupted once more, not wanting to be dragged into this more than was necessary.

"Nevertheless, it was your imagination that saw the potential of that room. A test for all you took for granted, even the most basic laws of physics. The labyrinth simply stole your idea and made it a reality. The Labyrinth grows through people like you, you give it life, expand its borders, increase its potential. However, people like you are growing more and more rare. The Labyrinth fades as more time passes and fewer people help it grow, the old is destroyed, but nothing new is created."

Sarah could see where this was going and she didn't like it, but she didn't interrupt again, she wanted to find out the exact situation before she voiced her thoughts.

"Fewer and fewer people are wishing children away, those that do don't truly believe in it, they run a beaten track, wearing it out without ever affecting the land around them."

The Goblin King began to pace as he talked, becoming more animated as he did so, the frustration clear in his voice.

"The stair room is now our only ending, every time it is destroyed pieces crumble and disappear forever, soon there shall be no final test. The Bog of Eternal Stench is gone, worn dry by the passing of countless feet. The Fieries are dying, exhausted from too many dances. The Labyrinth is fading Sarah."

He stopped pacing at this point, fixing Sarah with a gaze full of pain. He loved his land, loved the creatures who inhabited it, it was killing him to watch what was happening to it.

"The imagination of this world is dying and as it does so does my land. I need your help Sarah, I need your imagination."

And there it was, the offer she knew he'd come to make.

"Come back to the Labyrinth, give it new life, show it new ideas, renew it, create it. Your mind is so full of ideas you don't know what to do with them. I can see even now your brain is thinking of all the amazing things you could create in the Labyrinth."

It was true, despite her initial horror at what he was asking, she couldn't stop herself imagining it as a reality. Her run through the Labyrinth had used a tiny amount of her imagination, there was so much more she could do and she knew it. The thought of that land dying hurt her, the thought of her friends fading with it was almost a physical pain. But the horror of her memories kept invading her mind, she could not forget the fear she'd felt whilst Underground, terrified of losing her brother.

"Do not ask me to put others through what I went through." Sarah asked, her voice so quiet she wondered whether he'd be able to hear her.

"What you went through?" Jareth repeated, mockingly. "What exactly did you go through Sarah? And be honest, you can lie to yourself all you want, but not to me."

"Do you have any idea what it's like to run your Labyrinth?" The words were almost shouted, the fear changed to fury in an instant. "The fear of not knowing what's around the next corner, not even knowing where the hell the corners were? Not knowing who to trust, who to fear. Not knowing if I was ever going to see Toby again, ever hold him in my arms. Facing the fact that one stupid mistake could mean I lost my brother forever. Can you even comprehend what that felt like?"

There was a sadness in Jareth's eyes that said he understood, but his job here was not to comfort her, he couldn't afford to forget that. He had to get her to agree to come back with him, it was imperative.

"And what if you hadn't faced that fear Sarah? You love Toby; can you really imagine life had you not run the Labyrinth? Forever harbouring your childish resentment against your little brother, cursing life for being 'unfair'."

His mocking tone cut Sarah deep. Memories of the selfish teenager she had been haunted her still. The dangers untold and the hardships unnumbered were nothing to the shame she felt at imagining her life had she not faced them. She had tried to hate her time in the Labyrinth, but the friends she'd made and the gifts it had given her had overpowered her stubbornness.

"What is it you're asking Jareth? What is it exactly?"

Jareth could hear the beginning of defeat in her voice, her resolve was weakening slightly. He felt the hope begin to rise, but kept his voice steady as he replied.

"I want you to come to the Labyrinth Sarah. Use your imagination to improve it, renew it. Help it survive." There was a note of pleading in his voice, but his face showed nothing but calm.

"I can't. I can't go to the Labyrinth."

"Why not?" The hope was gone now.

"Because I have a life here. I fought too hard to get into this university, I won't give up now. I can't. And then there's my family, how can I leave them? Just drop out of uni and disappear? I can't do that to them."

"You don't have to disappear. You can tell them you got offered a job and move away, you can still visit, they need never know where you really are. As for the university part, you're studying English Literature and Creative Writing, why? So you can become an author and write stories to entertain people? You can do so much more in the Labyrinth, your stories can become a reality. You won't be entertaining you'll be helping people, changing their perspective, improving their lives. Surely that's more important that being an author."

"But I fought so hard for this Jareth!"

Sarah refused to give in, it had taken her years to earn the money she needed for this prestigious university, years to build up the portfolio to allow her onto the course despite her lack of school qualifications. Writing was her only passion, she'd passed English with top marks, but no other subject held any interest for her, as a result English was the only qualification she had, but it wasn't enough to get her into university. Years of writing columns for magazines, stories for children's books and short stories for literature publications had finally gained her the interview that had led to her acceptance into university. It had taken too much for her to get to this point, she wasn't going to give up now.

Her thoughts might as well have been printed on her face, her expression was that obvious. Jareth knew what she was thinking, and he knew he was losing. He couldn't lose, she had to agree!

"Sarah, look around you. You're in a room the size of my shoe cupboard, you haven't had a single full nights sleep in months, you're five years older than your fellow students physically and about ten years mentally. You distance yourself from them in an attempt to focus on your studies. You lock yourself away in your room to do your work, which isn't half as good as it could be due to the constant noise and lack of sleep. You're wasted here, even if you pass this course and go on to be a world famous author you won't live up to your full potential. You'll never be allowed full creative freedom, this world simply does not allow it. Underground you can be free to create whatever you want, use your imagination to its full extent. No one will ever hold you back there."

The offer was incredibly tempting. Sarah was aware of the reality of authors nowadays, they were bound by rigid rules that halted their progress for the sake of 'sales'. The course she was taking was practically a 101 in how to write a best-seller, half of the course she'd already put into practice many times over and the rest of it barely held her interest. But with this degree she knew she'd be so much closer to getting publishers interest, to fulfilling her dream and becoming a real author. The stories in her head were practically overflowing, and the idea that she could use all of them in shaping the Labyrinth was a perfect carrot on a stick. But that was not her world, she didn't belong there, she'd come too far in her own world to give up now, she had to see if she could make it, had to see if she was good enough, she'd never forgive herself if she didn't. Going to the Labyrinth seemed too much like giving up.

With a sigh, she made up her mind. She belonged here, she'd stick it out, she would become an author. She had no doubt that she'd spend the rest of her life wondering what it would have been like if she'd taken up Jareth's offer, but she knew that if she did accept it, she'd spend the rest of her life calling herself a coward. There was no choice to make in the end, there was only one path she could take.

"I'm sorry Jareth, I can't, I just can't."

He felt the remainder of his hope crumble then. There was a finality in her voice that said she would not be swayed, nothing he could say could change her mind. He ran over the conversation in his head, wondering what else he could possibly say to alter her decision. There was nothing. In her mind, Sarah's choice was the only one she could possibly make. The Goblin King's face betrayed none of his despair, but his mind teemed with it. He'd been sure he could convince her, sure there was nothing in this world that held her here other than her family, which she'd still be able to see if she went Underground. He hadn't counted on her stubbornness. Yet the reality was very clear, she wasn't going to agree to his offer. With a sigh Jareth raised his eyes to hers, the pain in both easy to see. Sarah's at the thought of what she may have just given up, Jareth's at what he was about to do.

"I'm sorry Sarah, but my offer wasn't a request. You don't have a choice in this."

_A/N In case anyone wonders about the title, it's from the following quote:_

_For last year's words belong to last year's language,_

_And next year's words await another voice._

_And to make an end is to make a beginning._

_T.S. Eliot_

_Thank you so much for reading! All reviews are welcome._


	2. Chapter 2

Sarah's mind struggled to comprehend what he'd just told her. Didn't have a choice. Didn't have a choice?

"What the hell do you mean I don't have a choice in this?" She shouted back at him. "Of course I have a choice, this is my life Jareth, not yours, you have no right to demand this of me!"

"It is not my demand, it is the command of the Labyrinth and nothing either of us can do can change the reality of situation. The Labyrinth has summoned you and you must obey."

"Don't make me do this."

It was a plea and a demand all in one. To go by her own free will was one thing, to have that taken away changed everything.

"I have no choice Sarah. The subjects of the Labyrinth, even its King, are bound by its choices."

"But I'm not a subject of the Labyrinth!" Sarah screamed back.

"I'm afraid you are." The words were so quiet Sarah wondered if she'd misheard, but the guilty look in his eyes told her she had not.

"What do you mean I am? How can I be?" She was clenching her teeth as she spoke now, confusion feeding her anger.

"You ate the peach Sarah. On Fae land you are bound by Fae law and the consumption of its food binds you to those lands. You became a subject of the Labyrinth with that one bite and you were only allowed back here by its grace."

The words hit Sarah like a physical blow. She lived in a world of human rights and freedom, to be told she was now a subject of a Kingdom where those laws no longer applied was a shock to her system. For a long while she sat in silence, trying to organise her thoughts, come to terms with what she had to do, but all the while she was fighting against it, her mind screaming that he couldn't make her do it. She was wrong though, she knew that, she knew that he could and he would. She saw the whole path of her life change in that one instant, everything she'd done to get to where she was had been a waste. Everything she had planned for the future disappeared. She would not finish her degree, she would not become an author. And then there were the other things, boyfriends, husband, children, were they even an option for her in the Labyrinth? Her thoughts were a confused tangle and the minutes passed as she tried to get them into an understandable order.

Jareth watched her in silence. He knew what she was doing, knew she was trying to adjust to the decision that had been made for her. He was impatient to get back to the Labyrinth, but he had to give her this time. He couldn't change the Labyrinth's decision, he wouldn't even if he could. Despite the sympathy he felt for Sarah, his land and his people had to come first. They needed Sarah to help them survive, he wasn't going to take that away. So he gave her the time she needed to come to terms with these changes.

Eventually she raised her head to look at him, her eyes full of sadness, but he could see she had resigned herself to her fate. The pain in her eyes, the slump of her shoulders told him just how much it hurt her to give in, but she knew this was the way it had to be, she had accepted it, that was all he needed. He reached out a hand towards her and she took it hesitantly. In an instant he created a crystal and transported them both to Sarah's new home.

Sarah found herself in an unfamiliar, but extremely large room. It could have fit about 30 of her dorm room in it. Yet despite its size, it still reminded her of an old fashioned dormitory. The walls were bare stone, not the small bricks of modern buildings, but the large crudely fashioned stones you'd usually find in old castles. Lining the two long walls were 8 double beds, widely spaced, each with a wardrobe, chest of drawers and a desk along the wall next to it. Each bed had different covers on it, one was pink, one had faeries on it, one was entirely black... There were items strewn around the beds and on the floor, items that wouldn't look out of place in any bedroom; clothes, books, photographs, even a few TV's with DVD's piled on top of them.

At the far end of the wall was a set of ornate French windows leading out to a balcony. Sarah could see what would, under different circumstances, have been an amazing view out of the window, but right now she was absorbed with the sights inside the room. Although there was no one else in the room, it was clear it had only recently been vacated. People lived here, quite a few people. Sarah turned to face Jareth, the questions clear on her face.

"The Labyrinth is seriously depleted, whole sections are simply walls or hedges, entire landscapes have disappeared. The reality is much worse than I led you to believe, this is our last resort Sarah. We would never have brought you here if it wasn't necessary."

"We?" Sarah asked, seeking clarification.

"Me and the Labyrinth. It may be land, but it has its own mind, its own will. Yet it requires others to help it grow, to keep it alive. We tried to attract new runners, more inventive ones, tried to keep them in the Labyrinth longer, to create new spaces. It didn't work. So we brought in those who had made the biggest changes to the Labyrinth during their run. You're the last to be brought here, there are seven others, during the first few months you'll be sharing this room. Hopefully it'll help you ease into your new life better to be sharing it with others, and it should help you come up with new ideas working together."

He said it in such an offhand way that Sarah felt the urge to punch him. He'd just torn her out of her life and thrown her into a completely different world, and now he expected her to share a room?

"Jareth, I'm not a sharing person. I had my own room at home, I paid extra for my own room at university, I need my space. I cannot live like this."

"It's only for the first few months, after that you can move out if you so desire."

"No." Her voice was more forceful than she wanted, but the lack of sleep (it was still 3:30am to her body, despite the sun which was shining brightly outside the window) and the shocks of the last half an hour were beginning to take their toll. "I need space. I don't want it, I need it. You can't just drag someone out of their life, thrust them into a situation they were completely against and then make them share it with complete strangers! It's bad enough that I'm here in the first place you could at least give me my own room, the castle's bloody big enough. I'm sure the others have said the same thing, or are they too scared to question any of this."

Jareth couldn't help but be impressed by the power of the girl in front of him. No, not girl, woman. The girl she had been was gone, in front of him stood a woman, a strong woman, who was not going to back down easily. He fought to keep the smile from his face. She would face the injustices thrown at her with dignity, but she was going to fight to have it on her terms. However, impressed as he was, Jareth was still a King, her King, he would not be spoken to like this. The Labyrinth needed Sarah and the others and he was going to make sure they did what it took to get this Kingdom back to the incredible land it used to be.

"The others weren't taken here by force. You are the only one too stubborn to see the greater good here. You're the only one who refused my offer and so the only one who has any problem with this situation. I am not going to give you preferential treatment simply because you did not choose this life Sarah, you will live with the others until you are fully integrated into this world, only then will you be allowed the freedom of a normal citizen."

"Freedom? Just exactly what do you mean by freedom?"

The Goblin King groaned in frustration, this was all going from bad to worse.

"As a new citizen, like all others who move here, you shall spend the first two months within the castle, learning our laws and immersing yourself into the life and job you have been given here. After two months you shall be allowed out into the Labyrinth, if you so desire you shall be given your own room within the castle or a house inside the Labyrinth. After a further three months you will be allowed to visit neighbouring Kingdom's, coming and going as you please, as long as you have permission of the ruler of the land you pass through, and you are still completing your duties to this Kingdom."

It was a speech he had said many times over the years as new subjects arrived from foreign kingdoms or wished away children were left here or even the few that wished themselves away. By now there was no emotion in his voice as he spoke the words, but with each word he could see Sarah's anger increasing.

"Are you telling me that I'm a prisoner in this castle for the next two months?" Sarah was practically shouting by this point.

"Only in that you may only leave the castle grounds, which include extensive gardens, if you are accompanied by a high ranking subject of the Labyrinth." He could see another outburst coming so he tried to cut her off before she could say anything. "I would like to point out that Hoghead, Sir Didymus and the giant teddy bear are all high ranking citizens. You are free to wander with them as you like during your free time."

He could see the soothing effect his words had, see the excitement shine in Sarah's eyes at the thought of seeing her friends again, despite the anger still simmering inside her. Sensing an opportunity to leave, Jareth excused himself, inviting Sarah to get a few hours sleep in the empty bed at the far end of the room that was to be hers. He'd left the room before Sarah had even realised that was what he was intending. Crying out in frustration Sarah walked down the length of the room and threw herself onto the empty bed at the end without putting any bed sheets on it. She was too tired and too angry to even think of doing something so logical. She even suspected she was too angry to sleep, but the quiet was far too soothing on her frayed nerves and within seconds she was deep in slumber.

As Jareth watched her slip into unconsciousness he sighed with relief. He'd know she was going to be difficult, that's why he'd left her until the end, but he'd never expected this amount of resistance. All he could hope for was that a good nights sleep would leave her in better spirits.


	3. Chapter 3

Sarah awoke more refreshed than she had been in months and a feeling of complete calm encompassed her as she opened her eyes. The calm lasted a whole half a second as she realised the sun was high in the sky and she was still in bed, meaning she'd obviously missed at least one lecture. She'd managed to scramble out of bed and reach for her alarm clock before she realised it wasn't there, neither was her bedside cabinet, or her room for that matter.

It took her a few seconds to remember all that had happened the previous night, in fact it was closer to a few minutes before her sleep fogged brain managed to put all the events into order. Instantly two emotions shot through her: anger once again at the situation she'd been thrust into, and relief that she hadn't actually missed a lecture. Not that it mattered now, she realised, sitting down on the bed. For a second she was tempted to wallow in thoughts of all she'd left behind, but self-pity was not her thing. She hadn't wallowed since she was fifteen, she wasn't about to start again now.

Standing up once more she took in her surroundings more thoroughly, noticing that things were clearly still in a state of disarray in the room, but had obviously been changed lately. Which meant the others had been in here whilst she was asleep. She wondered momentarily what they'd thought of her, but she didn't dwell on it, she was simply thankful that they were no longer here. Glancing towards her wardrobe she decided to see if the Goblin King had managed to remember to bring her some spare clothes, the idea of continuing to wear her pyjamas during the day did not appeal to her.

She never actually got as far as opening the wardrobe though as she noticed some bed sheets folded on top of it. The anger surged through her once more. White lace? He thought she'd appreciate white lace bed coverings? What was going through his mind? She had never in her life had anything made of white lace, she was a jeans and t-shirt type girl at best. Her bed covers were plain, dark coloured sheets she'd bought at a bargain linen shop. This lace looked like it was worth more than her entire wardrobe. She felt the urge to rip the sheets up, but she knew she'd feel instantly guilty if she did. Still, there was no way she was sleeping on these sheets.

She began to look around for some alternative sheets, none of the other girls had white lace, so clearly there were others available. It was as she looked under the bed that she let out a loud shriek. There, staring back at her, was a tiny wrinkled brown face. The goblin was no more than a foot high. Its eyes seemed to take up most of its face, a look which would usually have a cute result, but on this goblin just made it seem all the more distorted. It was currently standing in one of her shoes, a shoelace in its mouth, clearly trying to decide what to do now it was faced with its new prey's owner. Sarah stared in shock for a few seconds, but then she couldn't repress a giggle. The goblin looked confused, clearly not able to decide whether to run or not, and it's enormous eyes made it look at the more comical.

"It's okay." Sarah said quietly. "You can have the shoe, have both on them if you want, I doubt I'll be needing my work shoes in this world."

The confusion vanished off the little Goblins face as she spoke, replaced by a giant smile which caused Sarah to laugh once again.

"Hands off the others though. You can have the shoes but I'm actually going to need the trainers, and the boots I just want." The goblin looked sad for an instant before the grin broke out on its face once more and it began chewing happily on the shoelace.

"Maybe you could help me though." Sarah asked tentatively.

The goblin looked wary, but nodded its head slowly.

"Where can I find some other bed sheets? I refuse to use these, I'll only rip them."

"Ask fer new ones."

The sound of the goblins voice shocked her for a second, although she didn't know why, she'd never met a goblin before that couldn't speak, why would this one be different. It was obviously just a little shy.

"Ask who?" Sarah asked.

"Labyrinth."

Sarah supposed she shouldn't have been surprised. If the land had demanded she be brought here, surely it could control the magic within it's own lands. Sitting back on her heels Sarah spoke in a loud voice.

"Labyrinth, I would be most grateful if you could provide me with more suitable bed sheets, please."

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the sheets turned into crimson satin.

"Now that's more like it." Sarah announced, pleased with the outcome of her request. "What's your name?" She asked, turning back to the goblin who was still munching on her shoelace.

"Gree."

"Well Gree, thank you for your help."

With that she stood up and turned back to the wardrobe, dreading what she would find inside. As she opened it though she was pleasantly surprised. Sure one half of it was filled with gowns that reminded Sarah strongly of medieval times and that she knew would look hideous on her, but the other half, the more important half, was filled with a mixture of her own clothing and new, casual clothes. Deciding that it was probably a good idea to stick to the familiar for now she pulled out an old pair of jeans and a Firewind t-shirt. Next she found some socks and underwear, but looking around could see no appropriate place to change. Ducking back down under the bed she asked Gree where the bathroom was. He took the shoelace out of his mouth momentarily to use it to point to a door that had suddenly appeared in the wall next to her, then stuffed it back into his mouth. Too hard from the looks of it as he had a minor choking fit before spitting enough of the shoelace out to begin chewing on it comfortably again.

Standing up, Sarah grabbed her pile of clothes and stepped into the bathroom. The bathroom itself was nothing out of the ordinary. It had a decent sized bath with electric shower which Sarah was sure she'd be fighting over with the other girls later in the day, so she decided to take advantage of the fact that she was alone and take a shower now. The room also contained a toilet and a sink with a large mirror over it. Surprisingly enough, the only products in the bathroom were Sarah's shampoo and conditioner, which struck her as surprising considering the untidy state of the communal bedroom, but she didn't dwell on it. The shower was brief and she was soon dried and dressed and ready to face whatever the Goblin King threw at her that day.

"Good morning." Jareth welcomed Sarah into the dining room.

It had been surprisingly simple to find her way there. Sarah had left her room and turned right down the corridor. The walls were strangely bare, no doors, no windows, no wall hangings. It was an eerie feeling, almost like the castle was half finished, a blueprint waiting for someone to fill in the details. At the end of the corridor she'd found a large, heavy, wooden door, ornately carved with a smooth brass handle. Upon opening it she'd walked into the dining room. It was large with a single, long table running down the centre of it. The table looked like it could easily seat thirty people, but there were only two chairs, and only one of them was occupied.

"It's still morning?" Sarah asked, sitting in the empty chair, and noticing that only her place was set for breakfast.

"Technically it's morning again." Jareth replied. "I thought it would be best to allow you to catch up completely on all the sleep you've been missing lately." He paused slightly before adding, "See if it wouldn't help the built up frustration."

Sarah found herself smiling at the jibe. It was true, she didn't deal very well with lack of sleep, had she not had such a good night, or day as was probably more accurate, she'd have no doubt responded with an angry retort, despite knowing his words were true. The sleep had done her temper the world of good, but still...

"I slept away an entire day?" She groaned. "I can't remember the last time I got more than six hours in a row."

"Well that won't be a problem here, completely soundproofed bedrooms come as standard." He said, grinning charmingly. "As do enormous breakfasts."

With a wave of his hand the table in front of Sarah became filled with an array of breakfast foods. Cereal, porridge, fried breakfast, pancakes, muffins. Sarah could have eaten for a week and not finished it.

"Help yourself." Jareth said, leaning back and crossing his arms, challenging her to defy him.

She had no intention of doing so however, she'd already eaten Fae food, she was a subject here whether she liked it or not, she didn't see the point in starving herself simply to make a point. Plus she was famished, she hadn't eaten in a day and a half and the food laid out in front of her looked delicious. Sarah began to eat as Jareth explained the routine of the Labyrinth.

"Breakfast runs from seven until nine, if you miss it you can usually bribe a goblin to steal you something from the kitchen. Just make sure you give them strict instructions as the what you want, a goblin's idea of food and yours differ significantly." He grimaced slightly as he spoke, Sarah refrained from asking about goblin diets, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. "Lunch is from noon until 1."

"Noon being thirteen o'clock?" Sarah interrupted, seeking clarification.

"Of course. Dinner is promptly at six and I do request that everyone is present to eat the evening meal together. As I mentioned before, you have access to the castle and its gardens, or if you desire to go out into the Labyrinth, you will require an escort. I'm sure your _friends_" the word was said with no little amount of sarcasm, clearly he still found it amusing that his subjects had managed to make friends with the amazing girl before him. "Will be more than willing to go with you. As for your job while you're here..."

Sarah couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the word job, like she'd chosen this. Jareth noticed her expression but carried on regardless.

"The rest of the girls spend the morning in brainstorming sessions. They come up with ideas together, draw plans, build models, work out problems with tasks as a group. After lunch some of them go into the Labyrinth, with escorts of course, to supervise the creation of new sections, others stay in the library and read in order to come up with new ideas, some simply relax. We do not have specific work hours, as long as you join in at least an hour of brainstorming in the morning and new ideas are frequently formed, the rest of your time here is your own."

"So generous." Sarah said, the sarcasm thick in her voice.

She may be in a better mood now she'd slept, but she was still less than happy at being dragged here against her will. The Goblin King, however, was fast losing patience with her.

"Sarah I understand you don't want to be here but you have no choice in the matter. This surly attitude isn't going to change anything, except maybe how quickly I end up re-making the bog of eternal stench for the sole purpose of throwing you in it."

Sarah tried to stop herself from laughing, she almost strained the muscles in her face trying not to so much as smile, but the effort was futile. There was such an easygoing attitude to the Goblin King, almost like he couldn't take anything seriously for too long, that Sarah felt it pulling her in too. It was an usual feeling, her days Aboveground were filled with essays, short stories, compulsory reading and fellow students she was more likely to punch in the face than laugh with. She liked that she could smile around Jareth. There was also the fact that he was right of course, she couldn't do anything about her situation other than make the best of it. Which she fully intended to do.

"So, this brainstorming session, where is it?" The grin that crossed Jareth's face mirrored her own, both felt that a significant hurdle had been cleared, it was a good feeling.

"In the library of course, but you need to eat first." He was right again, naturally. Sarah ate until she was full and then Jareth rose and gestured for her to follow him. They left out of the same door Sarah had gone in, once again walking down the strange corridor with no doors. It wasn't until they got to the end and turned a corner that Sarah realised she hadn't seen the door to her bedroom. Turning around she scanned the wall but it was completely bare. Jareth didn't even slow his pace, but he obviously noticed she had stopped walking and he chuckled.

"The castle is extremely large, and just as much of a maze as the Labyrinth itself. To make it easier for you girls, it's only showing doors and corridors that lead you exactly where you want to go. Eventually you'll get to know the castle well enough to navigate on your own, but for now, just follow the floor."

"Now where's the fun in that? Here I am, planning on getting lost constantly in the hopes you'll get that annoyed you'll send me home, and you go and make it impossible for me to get lost."

For a second Jareth thought she was serious, but as he turned to berate her he saw the smile on her face and couldn't help but respond to it.

"I must remember to give you lots of sleep and good food in the future, you're much more fun when you're not grumpy."

"Jareth, I'll have you know I'm never grumpy. I'm indignantly angry, sometimes bordering on surly, but never grumpy."

"Then I hope I never see your definition of grumpy, the Underground may not survive it."

With one last smile and raised eyebrow Jareth turned and continued walking, Sarah followed without a word.

**A/N Thank you for reading and thank you to everyone who's favourited this/added it to their alerts and, most importantly, left a review! I'm impressed by the interest it's gained already. I hope you continue to enjoy it!**

**Ina: Seeing as I can't reply via email I'll comment here. Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad you're liking the story so far, thank you especially for pointing out which bits in particular you liked, really helps me know what I'm doing right so I don't alter it :) As for 'A New Beginning', I never thought about the similarities, but you're right. I just picked the title of this one as the quote is very appropriate for the whole story.**

**Edward-is-sexier-than-Mike: No, thank _you_!**

**J Luc Pitard: I look forward to the next barrage of questions!**


	4. Chapter 4

Eventually, after so many twists and turns that Sarah's head ached from the vain effort of trying to remember their path, they reached another door. Jareth didn't knock but simply walked straight in. When she followed him, Sarah found herself in a huge, circular room, the walls of which were covered in shelves filled with books that stretched all the way up to the ceiling. In the centre of the room was a large circular table, strewn with pieces of paper; drawings, schematics, diagrams and text, some neat and tidy, some scrawled upon furiously. Around the table were eight seats, of which seven were occupied by girls of different ages who Sarah assumed were now her room-mates. The thought sent a shudder down her spine. She'd meant it when she'd said she needed her space, she wasn't sure she was going to be able to cope without her own room to retreat to when she needed. Now wasn't the time for those thoughts though. As Sarah and Jareth entered all heads had turned to stare at the newcomer.

"Girls, this is Sarah, she's the final inductee." Jareth said, pushing Sarah out in front of him. "I'll leave you all to get to know each other."

And with that he left, leaving Sarah stood in a room full of strangers, all of who were staring at her. Well, way to make her feel welcome. Thankfully some of the girls had the manners Jareth lacked and began introducing themselves, Sarah tried to pay attention, she honestly did, but she knew that she'd have forgotten half the names within five minutes. As soon as Sarah was sat comfortably, the session continued where it had left off.

At that moment they were discussing plans for a new river to be dug out running through a large portion of the Labyrinth. The Bog of Eternal Stench had now gone and although they had no plans to build anything as vile as that, they had used it to come up with a new idea. It was based around the same logic test as the Bog, have someone guarding a bridge over the river with a riddle of some kind that needed logic to solve. They'd already drawn up maps of where the river would go, it ran from the edge of the Junk Yard right back to the hedge maze level, and the water flowed in that direction. It was assumed that at some point it would be used to trick runners into going back towards the beginning. The problem now was what the test of the bridge would be. Nothing in the Labyrinth was there simply for the sake of it, but although the girls had come up with a good starting point, they were now stuck.

"How about two bridges?" Sarah said, her mind already running away with her, coming up with ideas.

"Go on." One of the other girls said, encouragingly.

Amber, Sarah dredged the name from her memory. She'd been the first one to introduce herself. Long, sleek, black hair framed her pretty olive-skinned face. She looked to be around the same age as Sarah, very pleasant girl, American from the sound of it, Sarah was grateful that at least one of the girls had accepted her already.

"A test of one of the basic lessons of the Labyrinth: nothing is as it seems. One bridge, shiny, new, but thin and weak. The other, old, made of brick, cracked and damaged but stable." Sarah was becoming more animated as she talked, her mind working out the task as she spoke. "Instinct would tell a runner to take the new bridge, but nothing is as it seems, a quick look would reveal the sturdiness of the old bridge, the flimsiness of the new. The test is simply to not take things at face value, study the two options, realise that though old, the brick bridge has stood the test of time and will continue to do so. The new one, more pleasing to the eye, but would not stand up to the task of supporting someone across it. Choose the right one, you've learned the lesson, choose the wrong one, you're in the river, right back to the hedge maze."

There were a few seconds of silence as the girls were impressed by Sarah's idea. It was never easy to adjust to a new person in the group, but Sarah had shown her willingness to work with them and this went well to winning their approval.

"Well, damn, you're good!" Amber said, quickly beginning to sketch in designs of the two bridges on a spare sheet of paper.

"Well she should be," Jareth said, suddenly appearing amongst them.

None of the other girls flinched so Sarah assumed this was something that happened a lot. Bit by bit she was just waving goodbye to her privacy.

"Sarah's the one who came up with the test at the Bog."

"I am?" Sarah was beyond shocked, she knew the Labyrinth had taken ideas from her mind and shaped her run around it, but she had no way of knowing which parts of the Labyrinth had already existed, and which had been created through her own imagination.

"Of course. Before you got there the Bog was simply a form of punishment for those goblins that really got on my nerves. I sent you there to wind Haggle up and suddenly Sir Didymus gets that ridiculous notion of having sworn to let no one pass without his permission. It was a good task, figuring out the word play, you'll fit in well with riddles like that."

"Isn't that slightly cheating?" One of the older girls piped up, Sarah had already forgotten her name. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and had striking red, curly hair, clearly dyed but stunning nonetheless. The face beneath the hair was no less attractive and from the amount of make up she was wearing, the girl obviously knew it. There was an aura of dislike about her, she was almost glaring at Sarah, her resentment clear to see but Sarah had no idea as to it's cause. She resolved to ask Amber about this girl later, as clear as it was that Amber was to be an ally, the redhead was going to be the opposite.

"I mean, Sarah came up with the task so of course she'd be able to solve it."

"Not necessarily." Jareth answered. "The idea was buried deep in her subconscious, to solve it required the use of her conscious mind, two entirely separate factions."

The redhead didn't look too pleased by his answer but Sarah was distracted. A ghost of an idea was beginning to form in her mind but she didn't have time to dwell on it as Jareth continued speaking.

"Amber, after the brainstorming session I want you to take a guard and go through the Labyrinth with Sarah, take her along the river to choose a suitable spot for the bridges." With that he was gone, again.

"He does that a lot, you'll get used to it." Another girl this time, Hillevi, she looked to be about eighteen and had an usual accent, possibly Scandinavian judging by her blonde tresses.

"Maybe she won't, from what I hear riddle girl doesn't even want to be here." The redhead again. Sarah didn't know what it was this girl had a problem with but she was rapidly losing patience.

"It wasn't my decision to come here, but this is my lot in life and I'll happily take up the challenge. I don't exactly have much choice about staying but I'm hardly going to spend the next few months bitching and moaning about it. So it looks like I shall be getting used to his Majesty's comings and goings."

"_Oh and won't we all enjoy that."_

The voice was inside her head but she recognised it well enough. The lack of any kind of reaction from the others suggested she was the only one to have heard it, and for that she was thankful, his tone had been far too suggestive for her liking.

"We'll see." Was the only response she got from the redhead, but the hostility in her voice was piercing.

The rest of the brainstorming session was spent looking at other sections of the Labyrinth and going over and improving other ideas the girls had. From that moment on Sarah's input was no less than any of the other girls. They bounced ideas off each other, adding their own take, improving everything with the combination of multiple minds. Sarah could already see just how productive these sessions could be and found herself enjoying it, despite her earlier reservations. Eventually it was lunchtime, however seeing as this was only three hours after Sarah had eaten a very large breakfast she wasn't hungry and opted to stay behind in the library a while.

"I've got a better idea." Amber said, a cheeky smile adorning her face.

She let out a loud whistle and almost instantly a goblin came scrambling out from underneath the table they'd been sitting at. Looking down Sarah could help but laugh.

"Hello Gree."

The little goblin grinning back at her, the shoelace still firmly clamped in his mouth, the shoe itself seemed to have disappeared though.

"You know this goblin?" Amber asked surprised.

"Yeah, that's my shoelace he's chewing on, I met him this morning. What's with the whistle anyway?"

"It's the best way I've found of calling a goblin, we haven't got any magic so if there's no goblins around, just whistle, there's usually one hiding within hearing distance and most of the time they're willing to help."

"Most of the time?" Sarah asked, looking down at the small goblin who was now prodding her trainer and eagerly eyeing up the laces.

"They're easily distracted, getting them to stay on task long enough for them to actually complete it is challenging. Gree, you cannot have that shoelace so pay attention."

Reluctantly the little goblin stopped prodding Sarah's trainer and looked up at Amber.

"Go to the kitchens and get us a picnic basket filled with picnic food, and I mean Fae food, not goblin food, okay?" Gree nodded morosely before slyly undoing Sarah's lace and scurrying out the door.

"I'd keep an eye on him if I were you." Amber said as Sarah bent down to re-tie her laces. "He seems rather attached to you and he's a bit of a pest when it comes to laces, as you've probably noticed."

"Yeah, I found him munching on my work shoes when I got up this morning. I told him he could have those but leave the rest alone."

"Well keep reminding him, goblins have a tendency to conveniently forget orders they don't like."

Sarah chuckled at Amber's words, she didn't doubt the truth of them one bit.

"So, Fae food?" She enquired, standing up once more.

"Yeah, last time I asked for food I forgot to specify that, my 'picnic' turned out to be bread smothered in motor oil, two bottles of goblin hooch which smelt like alcoholic bog water and a tin of pickled dandelion stalks."

"Fae food it is then."

At that point Gree came running back in holding an enormous picnic basket over her his head. As he saw Sarah he grinned at her and Sarah smiled back at him, happy to have another friend. Unfortunately as he'd grinned the shoelace had half fallen out of Gree's mouth, resulting in him stepping on it and going head over heels as he flew across the room. Amber managed to catch the picnic basket but Sarah was too slow to stop Gree from smacking into the table leg. Hurriedly, Sarah picked up the very disorientated little goblin and checked him over for any injuries. Other than a rapidly appearing bump on his forehead there didn't appear to be any. She asked him if he was okay and, after a few moments, got an energetic nod of the head in response which caused him to get dizzy and promptly fall over once again.

Picking him up for the second time Sarah gave him a few minutes to recover, all the while trying to ignore Amber's giggles, before asking Gree if he was okay again. This time she got a very slow, deliberate nod followed by another of his trademark grins. Smiling back at him she told him to hurry off to whatever the goblin equivalent of a doctor was. Gree took one final look of longing at her untouched shoelace then went running out of the room again.

It was only as he reached the door that she remembered to thank him for the picnic. This almost sent him into shock. He tumbled over his own feet, did an awkward forward roll before landing in a heap, staring at Sarah open mouthed, then picking himself up and running off again. Sarah couldn't figure out what had caused such a reaction. Amber however was almost bent double with laughter and it was a while before she had herself under control enough to talk.

"They're not used to please and thank you's, it's not that Jareth isn't polite, he's just, well, a King. Most of us girls do try and still request instead of demand, but when doing so ends up with that kind of acrobats, well you end up feeling sorry for them and not being so polite in order to stop them getting hurt."

Sarah could see the sense in it, but twenty three years of good manners would be hard to change. Still, now that the picnic was here they could be on their way. Amber hoisted up the basket and they set off towards the entrance to the castle. As before, the girls only saw the doors and corridors they needed to find their way out and although Sarah could see the sense it in, she was sure things were going to be difficult when they could eventually see all the details of the castle. When they reached the door Sarah had expected them to stop to wait for a guard, instead Amber continued straight out and started to walk around the castle.

"We're not waiting for a guard?" Sarah asked, amused at the thought of angering Jareth by disobeying him.

"Nope, Kingy told me to take you this way."

"Kingy?" Sarah asked, barely repressing a smile.

"Never call him that to his face!" Amber replied, a smile splitting her own face. "He doesn't appreciate it much. It's either Your Majesty or Sire or Goblin King…"

"Or his royal pain in the arse." Sarah quipped in.

Amber turned to look at her new friend, trying to figure out whether she was serious or not.

"I'm kidding." Sarah reassured her. "But I did call him Jareth this morning, I'm guessing that's not allowed right?"

"Right, I'm surprised he let you get away with that, but yeah, stick to the ass kissing, it goes down better."

By this point they'd gone right around to the back of the Castle and Sarah found herself staring at some absolutely beautiful gardens. A well tended lawn stretched out in front of her, bordered by rows of white and pink lilies. A path ran down the centre of the lawn splitting it in two, and in the centre of both patches of grass were elaborate flower plots. One was a traditional circular labyrinth made out of sunflower yellow and blood red tulips. The other was the symbol Jareth wore around his neck, the symbol of the Labyrinth made out in yellow Crocus's, surrounded by a multitude of iris's, pansy's and peony's. Dotted throughout the lawns were enormous rose bushes with a variety of coloured roses on them. The effect was stunning.

So distracted was she that Sarah didn't notice the arrival of another until he spoke and shocked her out of her reverie.

"So, 'e convinced yer t' come back did 'e?"

"Hoggle!" Sarah exclaimed, throwing her arms around her old friend.

"Now there's no need fer that! I've missed yer too, but if ya kiss me again who knows what Jareth's like t' do."

Sarah stood back up, still smiling at her friend, though refraining from giving in the urge to kiss him just to wind him up.

"So I hear ya need an escort t' go out into Labyrinth?" Hoggle continued.

Sarah looked over to Amber and raised her eyebrow.

"Kingy said things might go easier if we had an escort you already liked."

"Just when did he said all this?"

"Right after he left the brainstorming session earlier. Some lovely telepathic powers he's got there, but it can't half scare you when you're not expecting it."

"He thinks I'm going to be difficult doesn't he?" Sarah asked, not quite keeping the sardonic smile from her lips.

"Oh he does at that." Sarah laughed along with he new friend.

"So where is it you girls are wanting t' go?" Hoggle asked, not joining in their mirth.

"Have you seen the design for the new river?" Amber asked him, sobering up quickly.

"Yup."

"We need to follow its path, find a suitable location for a couple of bridges."

"This way then." Hoggle immediately started trudging back around the front of the castle and out towards the Labyrinth, the girls hurried to catch up to him.

"So how long have you been here then?" Sarah asked Amber, thinking the girl seemed very at home here.

"Almost two months now."

"Two months?" Sarah exclaimed, shocked.

"Yeah, Miranda's been here the longest, over three months. Kingy said he wanted us spread out, give each of us time to settle down and bond before bringing the next person in. Personally I think he was just dreading asking you."

The cheeky smile was back on Ambers face but Sarah still groaned at the ribbing.

"Eight years on and I'm still a selfish brat."

"Not really, I mean, think of everything he asked you to give up. You worked hard, got yourself into university, funded it yourself, you've already had some things published, you had a great career ahead of you. Plus there was your family, that's a lot to ask for. The rest of us, yeah we've all got family that we're close to now because of the Labyrinth, but life-wise, I don't know, none of us are really that career minded, our heads were constantly in the clouds so when we got offered the chance to come back here we jumped at it. You managed to find a balance though, use your imagination in your own world, it gave you all that more to give up. So hey, it's not selfish to not want to give up that which you've fought for and are proud of."

"How do you know so much about me?" Sarah asked, suspicious. Amber laughed in response.

"You're something of a celebrity here. As much as we all had our heads in the clouds, we abandoned the Labyrinth when we went back Aboveground, you didn't, you kept in touch with your friends. Me and Hillevi are the only other ones in the group that actually made friends. Plus that Escher room, damn that's impressive, and the Fiery's we love those guys! When the goblins found out you were the last one they couldn't stop talking about you, honestly it's amusing to watch, I think Gree's even a little star-struck, I've never seen him so quiet."

Sarah found herself blushing, she'd never been one for attracting attention, this really wasn't what she wanted at all. Amber saw the colour in Sarah's cheeks and playfully jabbed her in the ribs.

"Ah cheer up, most of the girls are great, they're more curious than anything, but you showed you've got a good brain in there today so they've accepted you. Give it a few days and you'll be right in the swing of things and we'll all be one big happy family."

Sarah gave a short sarcastic laugh in response.

"Well except for Miranda." Amber acknowledged.

"The redhead?" Sarah guessed.

"Bingo. She seems to think that because she was here first she's the leader of our little pack."

"She's like that with everyone then?" Sarah asked, thinking of the hostility she'd received.

"Actually no." Amber answered, turning pensive. "She's not the friendliest of girls at the best of times, but today was just weird. Give her time though, I'm sure she'll…"

"Do you girls ever stop talking?" Hoggle interrupted Amber mid-flow. "As if being made t' be a tour guide aint bad enough, I've got t' listen to you yakking away all day."

"Now, now Hoggle, you're not a tour guide, you're an escort guard remember."

"I'm a tour guide and you knows it. Now pay attention. On t' left you'll see start of t' river." Sarah looked around, shocked to find herself at the edge of the Junk Yard.

"How did we get here so quickly?"

They'd only been walking a few minutes, it had taken ages the last time she'd done this journey. Okay so there'd been a slight war in the middle last time, but still, it should have taken longer than this to reach the Junk Yard.

"There are direct paths t' the castle from each section o' the Labyrinth, makes it easier for us t' get around. Course there are those runners who manage t' find 'em and cheat their way t' the castle, but that's rare."

"You mean there's a direct path from the entrance of the Labyrinth right to the castle?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"Course there is. Just that worm told yer t' go the other way and go the other way yer did."

"That's not much of a test if the worm just lies."

"Now who said anything 'bout lying?" Hoggle asked, slightly offended on behalf of the worm. "It's a play on words and yer missed it. Ya asked how t' get through the Labyrinth, not how t' get t' the castle. Yer didn't ask a direct question, so yer didn't get a direct answer."

Sarah realised the truth of the words, but it still rankled at how easily she'd been led astray.

"So what about the other sections?"

"'The way forward is sometimes the way back'" Hoggle said, quoting the wise man. "You took the path that looked like it led t' castle. If yer'd took the path behind yer, it'd have taken you straight there. It's all in the words."

"The Labyrinth's a tricky place." Amber put in. "Don't feel too bad, we've all been made to feel like dunces at the things we missed. Now, you can see where the goblins have laid out the boundary of the river, lets have a walk and see if we can't find somewhere to put those bridges of yours. And have a pleasant picnic too."

Linking her arm through Sarah's, Amber head off down along a road of cleared land. Hoggle followed along behind them muttering under his breath about 'tour guides' and 'walking information points'.

**A/N Huge thank you again to all of you for reading and even more thanks for all the reviews! You all seem to like Gree a lot so I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Please review whether you liked it or not, even negative reviews (as long as they're constructive) are appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

Sarah and Amber spent a pleasant day scoping out a site for the new bridges. They stopped for a picnic about an hour after leaving the castle and both girls were relieved to find edible fare in the basket. Ham and cheese sandwiches, mini sausage rolls, bottles of rosé wine and some delightful little cakes kept them going on their long walk. The river took a convoluted route right the way through all the main sections of the Labyrinth. As they passed through each one Sarah's mind began racing with schemes of different tasks for each section. The glimmer of an idea she'd had before in the library began to take hold and Sarah knew she would need to discus it with Jareth at some point, find out if it were possible.

Eventually the girls and the dwarf reached a place in the hedge maze that they deemed a suitable position for the bridges. The test was of a very basic rule of the Labyrinth, so it made sense to teach it very early on in the run. Between Amber's drawing ability and Sarah's eye for detail they came up with an executable plan for the bridges. Satisfied with a good day's work, the girls followed Hoggle back to the castle, arriving just in time to dress for dinner, a prospect Sarah was dreading.

When they reached their bedroom all the other girls were already there in various stages of preparation for the evening meal. Seeing Hillevi dressed in formal evening wear confirmed Sarah's fears; this was not going to be a casual meal like breakfast. Amber walked over to her bed which was opposite Sarah's and began to undress before rummaging around in her wardrobe for something suitable to wear. Sarah was lost, very lost. She was not a formal girl, she'd hardly been to any formal events bar the odd school prom. She had no idea what to wear and the fact that all the other girls seemed so at ease with it all made her feel all the more awkward.

As Amber took a dress out of the wardrobe and laid it on her bed she noticed Sarah stood watching her. With a grin she sauntered over, still in her underwear, and dragged Sarah over to her own wardrobe. Throwing the doors open she studied the contents for a few seconds before picking out a dark blue, velvet, medieval styled dress. The under-dress was made of a lighter blue linen, worked with delicate silver embroidery, revealed by an opening in the front of the skirt and as the front panel over her bust. The darker, velvet over-dress had large bell sleeves that Sarah was sure were going to get in the way of eating. Nevertheless, it did look stunning, even on the hanger. Amber held it up to Sarah and after a moments pause nodded her head in satisfaction.

"That one." Amber answered confidently. "It compliments your skin tone, and hon, you have definitely got the figure for it. Now go wash, I'll do the same because that riverbed was dusty as hell, then I'll help you into the dress."

Amber then sauntered off and went through a door that had appeared by the side of her own bed whilst Sarah turned to her own bathroom. Jareth may have them all sharing a room but at least he wasn't stupid enough to make them all share the same bathroom. From the looks of it each girl had her own, the doors only seemed to appear when they were needed. Heaving a sigh of relief, Sarah went to wash off the dust of the day and then came back to stare uneasily at the dress. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to pull it off but Amber soon came over and helped her into the medieval cloth.

There was a lot of pulling and tugging and rearranging in order to get Sarah properly ensconced in the dress but eventually Amber was satisfied and turned Sarah to face the mirror on the inside door of the wardrobe. Even Sarah couldn't help but be impressed by what she saw. The dress was extremely flattering on Sarah's svelte frame, emphasising her neat curves and giving her a truly elegant look. With Sarah's pale skin and dark hair, the blue dress was a perfect compliment. A little eyeliner later and Amber pronounced Sarah ready to meet her king. A round of chuckles met the jovial statement and Hillevi rushed over to compliment Sarah, but not all the girls were happy.

"How quaint." Miranda said, her tone vicious. "It's nice that you can pull off something like that, of course those of us with a fuller figure get to choose from more modern apparel."

Miranda herself was wearing a blood red satin evening gown. It was extremely low-cut, figure hugging and, along with the make-up she was wearing, gave Miranda a look that bordered on being simply tacky. There was no denying Miranda had a great figure though, it was only a shame she didn't have the personality to match.

"Some of us prefer to keep ourselves to the more understated side of life," Sarah quipped back. "It saves us from the humiliation of being mistaken for a whore."

Gasps came from all corners of the room at Sarah's words. No one had expected her to have such venom, least of all the person it was directed at. Miranda raged silently for a few seconds, unable to come up with a retort through her anger, before looking Sarah up and down in disgust and walking out.

The room was eerily still for a few moments as the rest of the girls adjusted to the new turn the group dynamics had just taken. Amber, naturally, was the one to break the silence.

"It's about time that girl got taken down a peg or too, well done."

"She really doesn't like me does she?" Sarah asked, sitting down wearily on her bed.

"That's a good thing." Hillevi answered. "She's got a good imagination but that's all she has going for her."

"I just wish I knew what I'd done that made her dislike me so."

"Don't waste your time trying to figure out what goes on in that head of hers." Amber said, taking Sarah's arm and making her stand. "Come on, I'm famished, let's head down for dinner and forget about Miranda."

Smiling at her new friends Sarah walked with them towards the dining room, but her mind was still on the puzzle of Miranda's animosity towards her.

As they reached the dining room they found Gree waiting for them. Sarah was about to greet him when he silently opened the door and held it for them as they walked through. Once Sarah was through she turned and thanked the goblin, resulting in him forgetting to hold the door in his shock and being smacked in the face by it. A couple of the girls giggled in amusement, but Sarah could hear Miranda's malicious laugh over them all and it spurred her into action. Opening the door Sarah picked Gree up from where he was lying and made sure he was okay before sending him on his way and joining Amber and Hillevi once again.

As they approached the table Sarah could see Jareth studying her with an amused expression on his face before he indicated she should take the seat to his right. Unlike at breakfast, he now sat at the head of the table, with four seats set out on each side of the table leading up to him. As Sarah sat down she saw the place card with her name on it in elegant script and the fine-looking china in front of her and marvelled, not for the first time, at the beauty that could be found in the Goblin Kingdom. Amber was seated to her right, with Hillevi next to her. The other girls were all still stood around talking but at the smallest wave of Jareth's hand they all came to take their seats at the table. As Miranda approached the table it was clear she was not happy and her face turned thunderous when she saw her place set furthest away from Jareth. Sarah wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she got the feeling Jareth was deliberately causing trouble. A glance at the slight smirk on his lips confirmed her thoughts and she dreaded facing the fallout of his actions.

Once all the girls were seated Jareth motioned for the waiting goblins to begin serving. It was more than a little amusing watching the rowdy little creatures pretending to be real servitors. More than one soup tureen ended up over the head of a goblin as they tried to imitate real waiters and carry it one handed. One goblin carrying a platter of fresh bread rolls had another goblin stood on his head carrying a second platter. They had barely walked ten feet when the bottom goblin wobbled sending the top goblin flying forward and landing on his face in the middle of the bread. Thankfully the goblins seemed impervious to harm and eventually the King and all eight girls had a bowl of soup and a bread roll sat in front of them. As Jareth lifted his spoon and took his first mouthful, the other girls took this as a signal for them too to begin eating.

For a while everyone ate in silence until Jareth asked how Sarah's first day in the Labyrinth had been.

"It was certainly an eye-opener finding out just how easy the Labyrinth can be if you know what to look for."

"The secret passages." Jareth stated with a smile.

"Indeed. We did find a nice place for the bridges in the Hedge Maze though and I saw a few other sites along the river that I wanted to have a closer look at. In fact there's something I wanted to talk to you about, an idea I've had."

"Is that so?" Jareth asked, still smiling. "You fight and argue with me over me bringing you here and now you're getting to be the most productive girl of the lot. Oh how things change."

"You mock me once more and you'll find out what I'm like when I really am grumpy."

Hillevi gasped at Sarah's impudence, but her words had been entirely good-hearted. The King and his relative-captive had reached a truce and both intended to make the best of this new situation.

"And wouldn't we all fear that." Jareth said, smiling at the imaginings in his head. "As for the talk, I'm free after dinner and I have a few details I need to go over with you anyway so we can discuss it all then."

With a flourish Jareth put down his spoon and immediately the goblins began clearing the empty dishes away. Gree was far too small to reach the table so he ended up climbing into Sarah's lap to retrieve her bowl. When Sarah thanked him this time his reaction was much less violent and he even managed to give her one of his trademark grins before diving off her lap as one of the other goblins sent a spoon whizzing at his head. The spoon missed and Gree quickly picked it up and ran off with it into the kitchen with the other goblin hot on his tail. Sarah could hear the distinct sounds of a raucous in the kitchen followed by a few moments of silence before more goblins began pouring out with the next course.

How Jareth kept up with the mess Sarah would never know, but as soon as anything was spilt, dropped or thrown, Jareth immediately cleaned it up with magic. Studying him though, Sarah could see the slight strain at the corners of his mouth as he struggled to keep his carefree smile in place and she couldn't help smiling to herself as she knew what it meant.

At that moment Jareth was distracted by a fight which had broken out between two goblins after one of them had kicked the door back in the others face causing him to drop everything. As Jareth called the two goblins over and admonished them for their behaviour, Sarah studied him properly for the first time since entering the room. His appearance had changed little over the years, outrageous 80's rock blonde hair, tight fitting breaches and lavish coats. The eye make-up was still overstated and yet looked natural and even suave on his elegant features. Still, something was different about him. He seemed more mature, more in control than he had on her last visit. He had become more of a ruler and less of a playmate. He was still devilishly handsome of course, but Sarah had grown out of her inexplicable childhood crush long ago and instead, when she looked at him, she saw a man she could be friends with. Which was more than a little odd considering the circumstances that had brought her back here. Nevertheless, here she was and she was determined to make the best of things.

The rest of the dinner passed smoothly enough. Sarah had almost been upended as Gree ran underneath her chair and the goblin chasing him had tried to follow, despite the fact he was far too large to fit. She'd remained upright with a little help from Jareth and although the larger goblin was sent back to the kitchen, Gree was allowed to remain beneath her chair prodding her shoes and trying to figure out how the slender heels stayed on without the laces he so loved.

As the last of the plates were cleared away Jareth dismissed the other girls but invited Sarah to stay. Once the room was empty Jareth immediately used magic to change his more formal clothes into a set of casual breeches and a poets shirt. Sarah couldn't hold back the giggle that had been building in her throughout the entire meal.

"And what, may I ask, is the source of your great mirth?" Jareth asked, looking slightly chagrined.

"You really don't like formal meals do you?" Sarah asked in response.

"Some of these girls have been here for almost three months and never once have they seen through this daily charade. How is it that you manage to do so on your first night?"

"I've seen you smile Jareth, but that pitiful curve of the mouth you've been showing all night is not a smile. It's too tense. You enjoy the food but not the formality."

"You're far too observant."

"Only if you're trying to hide things from me." Sarah answered with a mocking wink.

"You're also enjoying this far too much. But you're right, I hate formality, why do you think I'm such a good King for the goblins?"

"And so modest."

"I'm a King." Jareth shot back with an arrogant smile.

"So why put on these meals if you hate them?" Sarah asked, genuinely curious.

"For you women." He stated simply. "The Goblin Kingdom may not be the most formal of places but the neighbouring Kingdoms can be. At some point in the future you may be called to attend a formal event so it's important you learn how to behave at them."

"And it takes three months to learn this?" Sarah asked slyly. Jareth was quick to pick up on it.

"For someone like you it will no doubt take a matter of days, as it did for a few of the others. Your parents did a good job, you just need to learn a few Underground traditions and formalities. For some of the group however, their upbringing was not up to scratch and they seem to lack basic manners."

"Like please and thank yous." It was a dig, a good-natured one, but a dig all the same.

"I'm King, Sarah, do not forget that." His tone had gone harsh, Sarah had a feeling she had crossed the line and for the sake of their new-found peace, she backed down.

"Forgive my impudence your Majesty."

At this Jareth laughed.

"Only call me that when others are around Sarah, in private you may call me Jareth."

"Thank you, Jareth." Sarah paused, the sly look coming back to her eyes. "But you didn't address my statement."

Jareth sighed, for all they could get along well, their breakfast this morning had proved that, he'd known that he and Sarah would clash. Often.

"As I said, I am King. The goblins serve me and I rule them with a fair hand, as such 'please and thank yous' are not required."

"Required no, but politeness for no other reason than the urge to be so is extremely refreshing." Sarah said, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "And may I remind you that subjects of the Labyrinth we may be, but none of the girls are goblins or servants."

"Round one to you precious." Jareth said, raising his glass and toasting her mockingly. "I propose a compromise. I shall aim to be more polite to you if you aim to pay me more respect."

"Any more respect and you wouldn't be able to fit a crown on that pretty head of yours. Come to think of it, is that why you don't wear a crown?" Seeing his raised eyebrow and the beginning of a frown Sarah continued hastily. "I'm sorry. Compromise it is, you mind your P's and Q's and I'll tone down the mocking."

"Tone it down?"

"Well you can't expect me to quit altogether, where would be the fun in that? But I will try and stop in front of the others."

Touching their glasses together the pair then took a sip and smiled contentedly at their respective minor victories.

"In the spirit of our new compromise I would like to rectify an oversight of mine earlier and compliment you on your outfit."

Sarah was taken aback, but managed to school her features.

"Well thank you, and might I return the compliment… Although I would like to see what you look like in a tuxedo."

Jareth laughed at the thought but stored the idea away. He could see Sarah giving more than just the Labyrinth help in the future.

"However," Sarah continued. "I merely wear the dress, Amber was the one to pick it out and help me put it on."

"Learn from her, the girl has a gift when it comes to dressing, she's helped out a few of the other girls."

"I'd bet I can name one she hasn't helped." Sarah said under her breath, yet Jareth heard her words anyway

"Each girl has her own style, some of them are less… appropriate than others, but I have hope that over time they'll all learn."

His face bore a pained look and Sarah wondered whether he was entirely sure of the decisions of which girls to bring back, but it was certainly not her place to question him.

"So, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?" Jareth prompted.

"Right," Sarah started, gathering her thoughts together. "You said that the Labyrinth took ideas from our minds when we ran and shaped the landscape around us right?"

"That's correct."

"Yet now we're sat around a table brainstorming instead of just going through the Labyrinth…"

"The brainstorming sessions allow the girls to pool their ideas, the ancient idea of 'the whole being more powerful than the sum of the parts'. But you're right, it is possible to simply work your way through the Labyrinth and by opening up your mind allow it to interpret your ideas and make them real. It's more difficult for the Labyrinth though, it takes a lot of energy to create new environments from scratch and it then has to continue expending energy to maintain them, which is why we work this way and get the Goblins to build as much as possible."

"That makes sense. Of course it puts an end to my plan of shirking my responsibilities by just walking through the Labyrinth and letting it do all the hard work." Sarah said with a self mocking smile.

"The Labyrinth is not the place for the lazy. But feel free to wander the Labyrinth at your leisure, with an escort of course, it may help stimulate your imagination."

"I'll do that. Now what did you want to speak to me about?"

"I just wanted an opportunity to see how you were adjusting to your new life?"

"You do this with all the girls?" Sarah asked sceptically.

"You know I don't. Sarah, you're different from the others. You recognised the Labyrinth for what it was long before they did. You took its lessons and applied them to your own life back Aboveground. You grew from this experience and lived your life to the full after it. The others didn't, they clung to their memories of the Labyrinth and never really integrated back into their own lives. You're a unique girl and for that reason alone you deserve the extra observation."

"First I'm a disease now I'm a source of entertainment."

"Well I could have just put you in a glass cage and charged the goblins a chicken each to gawk at you, but I thought this would be more fun."

Sarah laughed easily at his ribbing.

"You don't think it'll cause tension between the other girls though?" She asked, turning serious.

"Oh I count on it. The goblins are running out of ways to entertain me, I think some good old fashioned female jealousy could be just what I need."

"You're a cad. But just what was it about me that Miranda so hates?"

A shadow flickered across Jareth's face at her words, but melted an instant later back into his mischievous smile.

"Well I don't think she appreciates being moved from the seat at my right hand to one at the far end of the table."

Sarah groaned, he really was trying to stir things up. Sarah wondered what else the goblin King had done, but refrained from asking, simply adding.

"If it comes to fisticuffs between me and her, I'm blaming you. King or no King I'll kick your ass."

"Ah sweet Sarah, how delightful dost thy language fall upon these poor ears."

"Careful, with words like that the goblins are going to start thinking our womanly influences are rubbing off on you."

"Thy mouth speaks images too bold and beautiful for this mere man to behold."

"Thy Royal self should see the truth of mine words and not twist them to his own desires."

"Touché." Jareth said, impressed. "I shall have to make sure your womanly ways do not rub off on me anymore."

"Why did you bring back only women anyway?" Sarah asked, suddenly suspicious.

"If the decision was up to me the Labyrinth would be overrun with you nymphs. But alas, twas the Labyrinth itself who decided which runners to bring back and apparently after multiple millennia with male rulers it was decided a more feminine touch was required."

"And I can see you're heartbroken about it."

They laughed easily together but were interrupted at that point by a summons. Grinning at the prospect of a new challenge The Goblin King bid Sarah goodnight before going Aboveground with his goblins to bring back the child and the new runner. By the time Sarah reached the girl's bedroom, Gree tagging along behind her the whole way, most of the other girls were in bed.

There was a brief flurry of activity as Amber and Hillevi rushed over to find out what Jareth had wanted to speak to her about, but they seemed disappointed by the talk of work and were soon back in bed. Sarah couldn't help but notice a slight smile on Miranda's supposedly sleeping face, but she was too tired to think on it. Quickly changing and brushing her teeth, Sarah was soon in bed and asleep within minutes, her mind using the hours of sleep to dream up new and interesting challenges for the Labyrinth.


	6. Chapter 6

Sarah was the first one to awaken the next morning and she dressed quietly so as not to wake any of the other girls. Slipping out of the dormitory she followed the corridor, confident it would lead her where she wanted to be, and sure enough, she soon found herself at the front door of the castle. Revelling in the early morning sunshine, Sarah made her way around the castle and into the gardens. Loving the beauty she saw all around her she soon found a bench and sat down to enjoy the view, the sounds, the smells and most of all, the solitude of the garden at this hour.

Sarah could be the most sociable of girls when she wanted, but there were still times when she needed to be alone, to gather her thoughts and relax. She found comfort in her solitude, became anxious when it was denied her. Her room had always been her sanctuary, a place to run to when the need called. There had been people in her past who had not understood her need. Friends and boyfriends who felt shunned by her desire to be alone. She'd never been able to fully explain to them that it wasn't a desire to be away from them, more a need to be with herself for a while, regain some focus and restore herself before going back out into the world.

And now that had been taken away from her, she had no sanctuary. It was a worrying thought, but the solitude of the garden was currently giving her all she needed. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the bench, listening to sounds of nature around her, feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time. Maybe she didn't have a room to herself, but the Labyrinth was giving her something she'd lacked for too long. It could be so peaceful here, and as the minutes dragged by, she felt herself getting more and more lost in the harmony of the garden.

All too soon though she became aware of footsteps trudging through the gardens towards her. She kept her eyes closed, hoping whoever it was would take the hint and leave her alone. She had no such luck.

"Now why are yer sittin' out here when there's food about t' be served in the castle?"

Despite her annoyance at the intrusion, Sarah couldn't help but smile at her friend.

"Because there are some things more desirable than food Hoggle, and being alone right now was one of them."

"Oh," Hoggle said, sounding rejected. "I'll leave ya too it then."

Sighing, Sarah opened her eyes and sat up to look at her friend.

"Never mind Hoggle, I had my time alone, it's okay, stay."

Not quite smiling, but no longer dejected, Hoggle went and took a seat on the bench next to Sarah.

"So ya wanted t' be alone huh?" He asked once he was settled.

"Eight girls in one dormitory is not my idea of fun." Sarah answered, grimacing slightly. "But this garden is so relaxing, I thought I'd sneak out here before anyone else was up, get some time by myself."

"Well if ya wants I can start work later from now on, give yer more time alone?"

Smiling, Sarah hugged her friend.

"That would be nice Hoggle, thank you."

Grumbling as always at her show of affection, Hoggle pushed her away before speaking.

"Yer okay though aren't ya? Yer happy?"

"I'm happy." Sarah said to reassure him, and realising it was true at the same time. The Labyrinth felt more like home than anywhere Aboveground had in a long time. She was happy here. She still regretted all that she'd left behind, she missed Toby like always, but she was happy here.

"Good." Hoggle said, jumping down off the bench. "Now do ya want me to leave yer alone?"

"No that's fine Hoggle." Sarah said, standing up herself. "I'd best go up to breakfast, I've no doubt got a long day ahead of me."

"Well the garden's yours whenever ya want it." Hoggle added, before wandering off into the depths of the gardens.

Smiling at his kindness Sarah went in search of food, finding the dining room within minutes. As she'd expected there were already a few girls there. Amber was helping herself to the cooked foods, full of energy as usual. She paused to wave Sarah over to the seat beside her before she carried on picking the foods she wanted for breakfast. A couple of girls she hadn't really spoken to before were already eating and gave Sarah a friendly smile as she entered.

One of them looked barely sixteen, a sweet little black haired, pale skinned child with an open, friendly face. The other appeared to be only a few years older than Sarah, no more than twenty six. Her golden-brown hair was cut into a sleek bob and she was elegantly attractive. As with the younger girl, there was no hostility on her face and Sarah was glad that she only appeared to have made one enemy so far.

Moving to sit next to Amber, Sarah found herself once again at Jareth's side, and wished him good morning. Smiling, he returned the greeting and bid her eat. At once Sarah's stomach let out an almighty growl and she realised just how hungry she was. She was going to go for a normal breakfast of cereal or toast but once Amber reminded her that she'd be going out into the Labyrinth again today, she decided on a hearty cooked breakfast to give her lots of energy.

Jareth excused himself not long after that to go attend to his Kingly duties, followed by the two girls whose names Sarah did not know yet, leaving to go to the library. Once Sarah had finished eating, her, Hillevi and Amber head off to the library as well to begin the brainstorming session. It was a less productive day than the previous, mostly going over little details improving existing plans. Amber explained where they'd decided to build the bridge and sketched it out on a map of the Labyrinth. Miranda and the final girl of the group turned up an hour before lunch, but other than a few thinly veiled insults aimed Sarah's way, they didn't cause much trouble.

Lunch consisted of various sandwiches and finger food and as Sarah, Amber and Hillevi trudged out through the Labyrinth after Hoggle later on, Sarah was glad of the large breakfast she'd eaten that morning, it seemed they'd need all the energy they could get.

As they passed through the Goblin City, Hoggle rounded up a small group of goblins to assist with their work, so there were twelve companions in total who set out into the Labyrinth. They took a slightly convoluted route to the site of the bridge, stopping to pick up Ludo on the way. Sarah was almost engulfed by his hug, but she returned the hug just as fiercely, glad to have another of her friends back.

Once they reached the site, Sarah and Amber began drawing more detailed sketches of the bridge they wanted, whilst Hillevi directed the goblins in beginning to dig out the riverbed. It was going to be a long job, the river had barely been started and they couldn't begin to build the bridge until there was a river to build it over. Hoggle was in charge of Ludo. Whenever the goblins came to a large rock, buried in the earth, Hoggle told Ludo where they wanted it moving to and Ludo simply called it out of the earth. It was amazing to see. He wasn't just calling them towards him, he was literally directing them to wherever he was told they were needed. Sarah had to keep dragging her attention back to the task at hand. The goblins kept playing up as well, and their antics could keep Sarah amused for days on end, so the work was slow, but steady.

When the time for returning for dinner arrived, there was a fairly deep riverbed where before there had been only flat earth. A pile of large rocks stood a few meters away from it and Sarah had already begun planning uses for them. The goblins were all tired and ready for some ale, a desire they had expressed with increasing frequency as the day wore on. Amber and Sarah had come up with some rather good designs for the two bridges and Hillevi was loving being in charge of the goblins, mostly because it gave her time to enjoy their pranks and disruptive antics.

By the time the girls had returned to the castle and bid goodbye to Hoggle, Ludo and the goblins, they were more than ready for dinner. They dressed quickly, Sarah once again taking direction from Amber, and noticing that a few of the other girls also asked her advice on accessories and various other things to do with their dresses. Sarah wore another medieval style gown, marvelling again at just how it complimented her figure. Miranda made no comment that night as she left, simply throwing Sarah a look of disgust and sashaying out of the room in another dress that was bordering on indecent.

As before, Sarah sat to Jareth's right. Miranda was the furthest away from him and so spent the entire evening attempting to flirt with him and dropping some not so subtle hints that were embarrassing for some of the less 'worldly' girls at the table to hear. Jareth ignored the hidden meaning of her words, taking them at face value and adding to the anger already stirring in Miranda. Sarah groaned inwardly every time he did this but Gree was always there to provide some form of entertainment and distract her. The little goblin had taken to following her around wherever she went within the castle. True to his word he hadn't touched her boots or trainers, but her other shoes had been completely devoured. Not that she minded, the wardrobe next to her bed provided her with whatever she asked for and some of the clothes were far lovelier than anything she'd ever had before.

The next week continued in much the same way, Sarah rose early and spent some time alone in the garden before going to breakfast. The girls then spent the morning brainstorming before Sarah, Amber and Hillevi went out to work on the river and the bridge. Dinners usually passed pleasantly, with intermittent entertainment by the ever-excitable goblins, and then the girls spoke amongst themselves before going to bed early, exhausted from their exertions in the Labyrinth.

Each morning Sarah was spending more and more time alone in the garden, Hoggle observed this and gave her space out of respect for his friend. It was over a week after her arrival that Jareth sat at breakfast wondering where Sarah was. Before she'd been turning up just after breakfast started, today it was almost over and she still hadn't arrived. Glancing out the window, Jareth saw Hoggle wandering around the back of the castle and summoned him up to see him.

"Hoggle, have you seen Sarah this morning?"

"Nope."

His answer was true but Jareth saw a twitch of his face that indicated he knew more than he was saying.

"Do you know where she is?"

"I do, but I aint telling yer so don't ask."

"Hoggle, how many times do I have to threaten you with a swim in a newly re-made bog of stench before you realise that I am King and when I ask you a question you answer it?"

Hoggle looked scared but he didn't throw himself at Jareth's feet as he would have done in the past. Jareth couldn't decide whether this was a good thing or bad. On the one hand it could simply be Sarah's good influence turning Hoggle into a braver goblin, or it could be that Jareth was losing the fear he instilled in his subjects. Jareth resolved to keep an eye on things and make sure he wasn't losing control. As for now, he was more curious than ever as to the whereabouts of Sarah.

"Hoggle if she's out in the Labyrinth alone as her personal guard it will be you who is punished for her infraction."

"She aint in the Labyrinth yer Majesty." Hoggle forced the honorific into his sentence. He didn't want to betray Sarah and the best way to keep her secret seemed to be to pacify the King. Unfortunately the King was not so easily put off.

"Then where is she? Hoggle if you don't tell me I'll simply look into a crystal and find her myself, but I'd rather not invade her privacy that way."

"No yer'd rather get me to betray her friendship." Hoggle mumbled under his breath. But he knew the truth of Jareth's words so he told him of Sarah's morning outings in the garden, praying all the time that Sarah would forgive him for betraying her like this. One day he'd stand up to Jareth, one day he'd be brave enough, but today was not that day.

With a strange smile that Hoggle could not interpret, Jareth transported himself to the entrance of the gardens and slowly walked around in search of Sarah. He found her on the same bench Hoggle always found her, leaning back, eyes closed, with a small smile of content on her face. Seeing her happiness, Jareth couldn't help but smile in return before taking a seat next to her. At the sound of someone next to her, Sarah's smile deepened before she spoke.

"I'm sorry Hoggle, I'm really getting in the way of your work aren't I?"

"It's not Hoggle. I fear he's not too good with keeping secrets from his King."

Sarah opened her eyes with a yelp at the sound of his voice, she'd been expecting Hoggle, not the King and she feared he would not take her daily solitude well.

"Forgive me, I thought you were Hoggle."

"Under any other circumstances I'd find that statement offending." Jareth said, still smiling, enjoying her surprised unease. "But tell me, what are you doing out here alone?"

Realising that Jareth wasn't angry at her, Sarah lay back down against the back of the bench and closed her eyes once more before replying.

"I told you I needed time alone. This place is so peaceful I find it harder and harder to leave each day."

Jareth studied her before speaking. There was a calm about her that he'd not seen before.

"You really do need your space don't you?"

"I always have. Aboveground, I needed to get away from the world. It was like I didn't fit there, it was too fast, too frantic, I needed time alone to centre myself, to calm down. But here, it's different. Sat here in the garden, alone, I feel completely at peace. I love being Underground, I love the work I'm doing, but being here in this garden on a morning, I just feel wholly happy, like I'm home, like this is where I'm supposed to be. It's hard to explain." Sarah broke off the end, not sure if what she was saying was making any sense at all.

"It makes perfect sense. The Labyrinth takes some people that way. It's how I felt the first time I came to live here, like my whole life had been leading up to that point. The Labyrinth is my home, just as it is now yours." He paused as a glint came into his eye. "And to think you didn't even want to come here."

Sarah groaned in mock frustration. "Okay, okay I was wrong, you happy?" Smiling honestly this time she opened her eyes to look at the man sat next to her. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"You're perfectly welcome Sarah."

Jareth paused for a few moments, thinking over the problem before replying.

"Sarah, would you like a garden of your own?"

Sarah looked at him for a few seconds, making sure he was being sincere.

"That would be perfect. If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all." Jareth said, using his courtly manners to the full. "I'll get Hoggle to create it for you. It may take a while but his gardening produces a much better result than my magic. Once it's finished I'll set some wards about it so that only us three can enter…"

"Why do you get to enter?"

"Well I wouldn't want you hiding away and not fulfilling your duties now would I?"

"Didn't I just thank you for bringing me here?"

"Yes, but you're also female. Last week you didn't even want to come here, now look at you. Who knows how you're going to feel next week."

Sarah batted Jareth playfully on the arm but he just smiled back at her in that infuriating way of his. They spent a while longer discussing plans for Sarah's garden before they both went off to begin the work of the day.

**A/N Thank you once again to everyone for all the reviews, it's always nice to know what you like and what you don't like. Keep up the good work, hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

Sarah grabbed what was left of breakfast before joining in the brainstorming session. Amber and Hillevi threw curious glances her way when she entered, but they knew better than to ask questions in front of Miranda, or Jenny, another girl in the group who was becoming more and more attached to the jealous redhead. Their curiosity was outspoken when they were alone however and Sarah was more than happy to answer their questions. She knew they would keep everything she said to themselves. Sarah had nothing to hide, but Miranda's attitude was getting worse not better, so the less she heard of Sarah and Jareth spending time together, the better it was.

Work on the river and the bridges progressed rapidly over the coming weeks and Hoggle soon got to work on the new garden. Sarah was now completely engrossed in the life she'd been thrust into. When she thought back on her old life, of the frustratingly pointless struggles she'd faced, she couldn't imagine what it was that had kept her there. She'd fought her entire life to progress to where she wanted to be, and yet she'd got nothing back. Here she felt needed, she could see the fruits of her labour take shape before her eyes. Day by day the riverbed deepened, the sketches she had drawn of the bridges began to become a reality, she watched the goblins toil with glee, marvelling at their skill at building.

Three days after the bridges were finished, a runner came across them. At that point the river was still dry so Jareth had to provide it with water magically while the runner traversed it. The excitement the three girls had felt as they watched the runner studying the bridges they'd all helped design and build was fantastic. Sarah felt a pang of worry when the runner failed the test and was set back, but when the second runner completed the test a week later she was ecstatic.

Sarah was surprised by the amount of runners there were in the Labyrinth. From what Jareth had said, the runners were becoming more rare, and yet not a week passed without at least one . Whenever a runner reached a challenge that one of the girls had set, they were called by Jareth to watch them proceed. In this way, the girls' work was assessed to see its effectiveness as a challenge. The girls used the time to think up any improvements, but they also felt pride in their work, knowing that once someone had traversed the dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, they came out a better person. They remembered their own trials and felt thanks once again for the gift they'd been given by their run.

Sarah began to spend more and more time watching the runners, using them to inspire her for more challenges. It became a habit of Jareth's to send a goblin to get Sarah as soon as he heard a summons so she could be waiting for him in the throne room when he returned. Wordlessly he'd create a crystal for her and she'd watch the entire run, making notes of ideas or improvements in her rapidly filling notebook. So it was that a month after she'd first arrived in the Labyrinth, she found herself waiting for Jareth in his throne room, eager to see whom the new runner would be and whether they would have any effect on the Labyrinth as they ran.

When he returned, however, Jareth's face held none of its usual excitement. When he appeared in the throne room, there was no joy in his eyes as he looked down at the small bundle in his arms. Sarah felt her breath catch in her throat as she wondered just what it was that made her Goblin King so sombre. She knelt down at his feet and put a comforting hand on this leg. He didn't take his eyes of the baby in his arms, but he placed his hands over hers and a ghost of a smile touched his lips.

There was silence for a while before Jareth eventually spoke.

"There's no runner this time Sarah, you don't have to stay."

"What happened?" Sarah asked quietly.

She had absolutely no intention of leaving Jareth alone at this obviously difficult time.

"Her mother was dying. It had taken a pregnancy to give her the strength to leave her abusive husband, but half way through she'd been diagnosed with cancer. Unwilling to risk her baby's life she refused all treatment. She gave birth to little Gracie here three months ago, but her cancer was too far-gone. When she died her husband would get custody. She refused to let her daughter grow up with an abusive father so she wished her away."

His voice was barely a whisper by the time he finished speaking and his words brought tears to Sarah's eyes. That the caring mother should die whilst the abusive father lived was just proof of how unfair the Aboveground world could be. Sarah marvelled once again at the faith that even adults could have in magic in this day and age, but she thanked whatever gods were listening that it was so. For all the mother had been through, at least this child had a chance to escape that.

"So what happens now then?" Sarah asked, looking at the peaceful sleeping face of the child Jareth held.

"She'll stay here until we can find an adoptive family for her. There are a few families in my brother's kingdom that are wanting a child, they're precious in a land that does not reproduce prolifically."

His last words were said with anger. Sarah knew he'd seen worse than this in his years. At least this little girl had one parent who cared for her. Although Jareth never spoke of it, Sarah had heard tales from the other girls, tales they'd heard from the Goblins, of wished away children who'd arrived broken and scarred, both in body and mind. Jareth cared for these children and helped heal them, as did the Labyrinth. This world had a healing power to it that allowed children to be happy again.

For a while there was silence again before Jareth stood and said he was going to take the baby to the nursery.

"I'll take her." Sarah said, gently taking the tiny child from him.

She had a desire to care for this child, to make sure she was okay. Sarah didn't quite understand it, but she knew that in part it was to do with Toby. For all that she was happy here, she felt guilt daily over leaving him behind. Jareth had implanted a memory in Toby and his parents' minds that Sarah had been offered a job overseas in a publishers and had moved to take it, but Sarah still felt like she'd abandoned him. It was the one source of unhappiness here that followed her daily, and although she thought she hid it well, Jareth was more than aware of it. Seeing her carry the baby so tenderly, seeing the tears in her eyes, Jareth knew she was thinking of her little brother and he decided it was time for her to visit him.

Sarah let the castle guide her towards the nursery and found a goblin already there when she arrived, clearly Jareth had summoned her by a crystal as Sarah walked. The goblin was busy making up a cot for the child so Sarah took a seat to wait, gazing down at the sweet babe in her arms. She savoured those moments, enjoying being around a child once again. The longing for her brother became almost a physical ache and so it was with tears in her eyes that Sarah put the baby into the cot, already fast asleep. She gazed down on it for a few more minutes before finally bidding the goblin goodbye and making her way back to the throne room.

She found Jareth sat in his throne, one leg thrown over the side, finger to his mouth in thought. It was a posture she often found him in, completely at ease and absorbed in his own thoughts. She coughed quietly to announce her presence, fearing he would want to be alone and she'd be asked to leave. Instead a brief smile crossed his face before he stood up and held a hand out towards her.

"Come Sarah, there's something I need to show you."

"You know those are the words that every girl dreads hearing from a man." Sarah said, their own mocking banter coming to the fore.

For all of the pain of the last few moments, neither of them were want to remain melancholy for long. Jareth simply smiled at her good-natured ribbing but assured her she'd enjoy what he was going to show her. Sarah informed him that didn't sound much better, but she took his hand anyway, trusting him more than she ever thought she would trust the notorious Goblin King.

As soon as Jareth had her hand he created a crystal and transported them Aboveground. Sarah was stunned to find herself stood in front of her parents house. She looked up at Jareth to make sure this wasn't some kind of prank, but his smile reassured her beyond any words. She looked back at the house eager to go in but knowing there would be rules attached to the visit. She wasn't wrong.

"You have until sundown Sarah, once Toby goes to bed you need to return to the Labyrinth." He placed a crystal into her hand. "This will bring you back home, have fun with your brother."

And with that he was gone, leaving Sarah stood alone outside her old home. She hesitated only long enough to deposit the crystal into her jacket pocket and then she was running towards the house. As she reached it she threw the door open without knocking and stepped into the kitchen. For a second there was a stunned silence as the family at lunch adjusted to the new arrival. Toby was the first to move, flying out of his chair into his big sister's arms. The siblings held onto each other, savouring the other's presence as only the closest friends can do. By the time the two pulled apart, Sarah's father and stepmother were both on their feet, awaiting their own hugs from the wayward girl. To Sarah's surprise, by the time she had hugged them both there were tears in her eyes. She'd never stopped thinking of Toby during her month in the Labyrinth, but she's not realised just how much she'd missed her parents as well, and she did class Karen as a parent to her now. She could never replace her mother but they'd become closer after Sarah's trip to the Labyrinth and Sarah had come to care for her father's wife.

After the initial emotional reunion, Robert inevitably asked his daughter about her sudden return. Sarah didn't even hesitate before telling him that she'd missed them too much so she'd taken a last minute flight out there wanting to surprise them with a visit, but due to deadlines at work she had to leave that same evening. The family accepted her lies without question, they were just glad to have her back for a while.

A lunch portion was soon rustled up for Sarah, but she found eating difficult through the constant barrage of questions. The lies rolled easily off her tongue, mixed with portions of the truth. The girls became her work colleagues, Jareth her boss, her adventures were related as a new idea for a line of children's stories. Toby was fascinated by her stories as always and was glued to his seat despite his excitement at having his sister back. After lunch the family watched a movie, a Saturday afternoon tradition that had been going since Sarah was a child and Toby sat on Sarah's lap as he always had. Sarah didn't even care that he was getting a bit heavy for that now, she was just so happy to be spending time with him again. Board games and a take-away followed and all too soon, the sun was dipping towards the horizon and Toby was struggling to keep his eyes open.

The farewell was even more tearful than the greeting. Sarah made them all promises that she'd see them soon, but in reality she had no idea when she'd next see them, she didn't know when Jareth would allow her back. After a long argument Sarah managed to convince her Dad not to give her a lift back to the airport, she wasn't sure how long she could keep up the charade. Before she left, Sarah put Toby to bed, reading him a story just as she had before she'd moved out. Once he was asleep she crept back downstairs and said goodbye to her parents, shedding a few more tears as she did so.

Sarah stepped out of the house just as the sun disappeared below the horizon. Keeping up the pretence she walked down the street and around the corner before she reached into her pocket and grasping the crystal. By that point she was in floods of tears. She loved her family more than anything, as happy as she was in her new life, the thought of another month without her family was extremely distressing.

The power of the crystal worked on its own and instantly she found herself back in the throne room. Seeing her appear, Jareth opened his mouth to ask how the visit had gone, but stopped when he saw her tears. He didn't need to ask why she was so upset, it was easy to see how much she cared for her family, her brother especially. Walking over to her, he put his arms around her wordlessly and she melted into them, glad of some small comfort. He was not her enemy. She knew this completely. The world was the way it was and no matter how much it grieved her to leave, she was thankful that he had allowed her to visit her family.


	8. Chapter 8

Life continued as it had before. Hoggle relocated already grown plants to Sarah's garden to speed up the creation project. Sarah, Amber and Hillevi worked together on almost all of their projects, loving the natural equilibrium they'd found in their work. The brainstorming sessions were as productive as ever, despite the growing aversion between Miranda and Sarah. Amber and Hillevi were included in the fallout and Jenny had fully joined Miranda's side in the conflict so there was a definite division in the group. Nevertheless, work continued steadily and for the most part the girls got on well enough.

Sarah continued to spend some time alone in the morning before breakfast, enjoying the peace and quiet and feeling truly at home in her solitude within the Labyrinth. Most evenings Sarah and Jareth would converse alone after dinner. After Sarah's trip Aboveground, there was very little conflict between the two, other than when it came down to the running of the Labyrinth, in particular, his treatment of his subjects. One night as the two sat in Jareth's study, Sarah was outlining an idea she'd had for a new challenge, a simple either/or task. Like the doors with the knockers on her own run, there was no logic to solve it, and both doors led to equally difficult paths, it was simply a distraction meant to slow down a runner.

Sarah's idea was to have a path that split into two and on both paths have a missing flagstone at the start. Natural curiosity would no doubt have a runner peeking into the hole, at which point a couple of the goblins who lived underneath the stone maze would appear. Sarah had met these goblins a couple of times since her return to the Labyrinth, having missed them on her first run even though they had been involved in changing her marks, and they amused her to no end. Their speech took a while to be able to understand and even when you could decipher it mostly it was confused babble or inventive insults. Hopefully any runner that came across the goblins would waste time trying to understand what they were saying in an attempt to ask them for help. There were not many of these types of challenges in the Labyrinth, most of them had a lesson or meaning behind them, but sometimes it was good to just make the runners lose time, increase their anxiety which often made them all the more appreciative if they won.

Jareth approved of the idea and summoned a goblin to him. As usual, Gree was sitting on top of Sarah's foot, chewing on a shoe lace she had given him earlier, and at the summons he poked his head out from underneath the table.

"Ah Gree." Jareth said when he spotted him. "Go fetch a detailed map of the stone maze from the Library."

Gree scowled at him before stuffing the shoelace further into his mouth and stalking off. Seeing a foot high goblin with extremely short legs trying to stomp away made Sarah giggle and even Jareth cracked a smile, although he soon turned to Sarah in confusion.

"Now what do you suppose made him so angry?"

"Well it could have been the fact that you interrupted his evening snack." Sarah said, teasingly. "But I think it's more likely to be that you didn't say please."

"I didn't say please?" Jareth asked incredulously.

"No Jareth, you didn't." Sarah said, exasperated that they were having this conversation once again. "Gree spends most of his time trailing me, and the few times he leaves my side, or my feet, he's usually on an errand for Amber or Evi, both of which share my manners."

"You're spoiling them."

"I'm being polite, there's a big difference."

"I'm their King."

"That doesn't stop you being polite and you'd be more likely to be obeyed if you asked them nicely."

"You're saying they don't obey me?" Jareth asked, anger creeping into his tone.

"I'm saying they don't obey you well. Anything you'll wager that Gree doesn't bring back the map you asked for."

"Gree wouldn't dare not bring a map."

"Oh he'll bring _a _map," Sarah said tauntingly, "But it won't be the one you demanded."

Jareth had no reply to that. It was true that he usually had to ask multiple times before a goblin brought him what he actually wanted. If he asked for a glass of wine he'd get a bottle of beer, a mug of whiskey and a shot of port before he finally got his original request. Over the years he'd got used to it and had put it down to the natural stupidity and forgetful nature of the goblins. Yet Sarah's accusation had him intrigued and his innate love of games and gambling came to the fore.

"A wager it is then, name the terms."

Sarah grinned in response, knowing this was a wager she could not lose.

"If I win, you have to start being polite, to all your subjects, goblins and girls included."

"And if I win?" Jareth shot back, his grin matching hers.

"What do you want?"

"You have to help with the goblin courts."

Sarah laughed at this. The goblin courts were a joke. Every little disagreement within the goblins could be brought before the king every second Tuesday. Occasionally there were genuine disputes over land and work, but mostly the cases were ridiculous. One goblin eating another's helmet, a chicken causing havoc in the goblin pub, grit cake being used by one goblin for roofing material when another had intended it for breakfast; it irritated Jareth beyond belief but only amused Sarah. Even if she lost, it wouldn't be too hard a task, she sat in on some of the courts anyway.

"Done. So, we'll see what Gree comes back with. If it's the correct map, you win. If it's not, you summon another goblin and I make a polite request of it. If it gets it right then I've proved politeness is the way to go and I win."

"Let the games begin." Jareth said good-heartedly.

They waited in silence for a few more minutes before they heard the tapping of feet in the corridor and moments later Gree entered holding a large scroll. Taking it off him wordlessly, Jareth then opened the scroll and laid it on the table between them. His groan told Sarah all she needed to know. Looking at the scroll she saw it was indeed a map, and it was detailed, but it was of the hedge maze instead of the stone maze. Sarah looked up at Jareth and raised a mocking eye brow. He shook his head in response before summoning another goblin.

"This doesn't mean you're going to win." He said, although there was doubt in his voice.

"Hello Dåshe." Sarah said as the new goblin entered. "Could you bring me a ball point pen from my room please?"

With a small nod of his head the goblin went running out of the room. No more words were said until Dåshe returned, although Gree went back to sitting on Sarah's foot and chewing on his shoelace. A few minutes later Dåshe came running back in at full speed. Jareth caught him as his tried to run past him to Sarah and sat him down on the table. Dåshe looked at him fearfully for a second before turning around and handing Sarah three pens. Laughing Sarah held them up for Jareth to see; she held a red, a black and a blue ball point pen.

"I never said which colour I wanted so he brought me all three. Thank you Dåshe."

With a grin, the goblin jumped off the table and scurried out of the room. Jareth meanwhile sat silently studying Sarah, his expression unreadable. He'd never expected to lose this bet, never thought his own lack of manners could possibly impede his ruling. The fact that his subjects' incompetence was a direct insult to him was a bitter pill to swallow. Yet he was never one to brood long. With a smile he turned to Gree.

"Gree, would you fetch me a detailed map of the stone maze… please?"

Sarah couldn't hold back a smile, not just because she'd finally won this argument, but also because Gree had just fallen face-first off her foot and onto the floor. Stunned, he picked himself up and slowly walked out of the room, constantly looking back at Jareth to see if this was some kind of trick. Once he was gone, Jareth turned back to Sarah, smiling.

"Well if he comes back with the correct map then I guess you're right."

"I've already won the wager, Jareth." Sarah teased.

"Indeed you have, but I'm making some exceptions."

Sarah frowned at this, she'd expected better of the King than to weasel out of a lost bet.

"I'll be polite, but only to those that deserve it."

Sarah opened her mouth to protest but Jareth cut her off by continuing.

"I shall be polite to the goblins but not when they are being rude or require punishment. The same goes for the girls and the rest of my subjects."

Sarah thought over his terms but agreed they were acceptable. Not everyone deserved politeness all the time and there were times that it was necessary to be impolite. As long as Jareth stuck to the terms he'd set, she'd be happy and she told him so. Gree returned at that point carrying another scroll and handed it carefully to Jareth before running back to the safety of Sarah's foot. Laying it on the table Jareth laughed to see that it was the correct map. Maybe this politeness lark could have its uses. He looked at Sarah, intending to say as much, but found her looking at him with one eyebrow raised before she looked down at Gree. Confused Jareth looked down too but still couldn't figure out what was going on. He studied Gree for a few minutes, enjoying the wariness in Gree's face at his new found politeness before he realised what Sarah was getting at.

"Thank you Gree." He said with a smile.

Shocked even more Gree dove off Sarah's foot and hid behind her leg, causing both Sarah and Jareth to laugh.

"Well this is going to take a bit of getting used to." Jareth said. "Now, back to the matter at hand, where shall we put this new task of yours."

Smiling at her own triumph, Sarah leaned over the map and began to study it. Jareth was right though, this would take some getting used to, but she was proud to have made a difference in this land. And more than proud that she'd managed to win a bet with the Goblin King. Nevertheless, she did begin attending the goblin courts regularly, helping Jareth out when he needed, intervening when a ridiculous case got him riled and even taking over for an hour or two when Jareth's duties took him away from court. Of course with her help came constant reminders for him to be polite but it was a compromise they could both live with and Jareth certainly didn't resent the new efficiency of his subjects.

**A/N Thank you once again for reading and even more for the reviews! I apologise for the slight delay in updating, I've had a crazy busy week and an even busier weekend ahead but hopefully you liked this chapter and there shall be more soon...**


	9. Chapter 9

It was a couple of weeks later that Sarah found the crystal Jareth had given her on her visit to see Toby. Clouds covered the sky and it had turned cool so she'd picked up her jacket before going for her usual solitary walk in the gardens before breakfast. As she'd wandered around aimlessly, she put her hands in her pockets to try and warm them up a bit and her right hand hit the crystal. Curious, she pulled the crystal out and studied it. For a while she saw nothing, a pretty glass ball, free of any imperfections. It amazed her that in Jareth's hands they could contain so much power, but here, in hers, it was no more than a pretty paperweight. As she looked at it though, she saw the distorted image of the flowers at her feet through the crystal and her thoughts turned to Hoggle and her new garden. As she wondered how the garden was coming along, the glass in her hand turned smoky and then cleared, leaving a perfect image of another garden within the crystal. Sarah stood amazed as she watched Hoggle planting some beautiful looking blood red roses. Even at this early hour he was already working. Smiling at her friend, Sarah slipped the crystal back into her pocket, not wanting to spy on him. Clearly the crystals did still hold some remnants of power. She contemplated returning it to Jareth but thought it may come in handy at some point, so she decided to keep it until he asked for it back.

At that point her stomach rumbled loudly so she turned around and head back to the warmth of the castle. As usual the table was full of a variety of food, although this early Sarah was the only one there. She'd just sat down with a warm bowl of porridge when Jareth entered and took a seat next to her, noting her jacket.

"It's quite cold out this morning." He commented pleasantly.

"And here was me thinking the Labyrinth didn't have any seasons." Sarah answered, smiling.

"Oh we have seasons, they're just a bit different to yours." Jareth clarified. "The transitions are short and the weather varies very little during a season. For the time you've been here it's been summer. Long, warm days, the occasional hot spell, a rare cloudy day, and now winter's on its way."

"You missed autumn." Sarah interrupted, grimacing at the thought of winter already.

"I said we had seasons, not that we had the seasons you're used to. Summer can last up to six months, sometimes we have an autumn, but usually it just goes straight to winter and we get a few months of snow before it thaws and we're back to summer again. Sometimes the seasons last longer, sometimes shorter, occasionally we have spring and autumn, mostly we don't. It's the transitions between the seasons you have to watch out for; rain storms, heat waves, frosts, you never know what it's going to be from one day to the next."

"That must be hard for the runners though." Sarah put in.

Jareth laughed at this. "The Labyrinth has a little compassion. As much as it loves battering us with storms, as soon as a runner enters, the Labyrinth it becomes a lovely warm summer day."

"Let's hope we have a lot of runners in the winter then." Sarah said, less than happily.

"You don't like the cold?" Jareth asked, amused.

"I miss the sun."

Jareth laughed at her again, but not mean-heartedly. At that point Amber and Hillevi entered and the three girls began to discuss the plans for the day. They'd just about decided to have a walk down the river and see if it gave them any inspiration when a fork of lightning split the sky outside, almost immediately followed by a crack of thunder. With groans of dismay the three looked out the window to see a carpet of thick, black clouds covering the sky. Even as they watched, the rain began and it was clear they wouldn't be going outside that day. Jareth had left by this point so Sarah related to the others the type of weather they could expect over the coming days. Each of them frowned at the thought of days spent inside in the library brainstorming and the inevitable boredom that would follow.

As expected, by the time the call came for lunch, all the girls were on edge. Being trapped inside had put Miranda in an even fouler mood than usual and she seemed to be gunning for Sarah. Every suggestion Sarah made, Miranda followed with a snide comment. She interrupted everyone, pulled perfectly good ideas to pieces and generally made the entire session unpleasant. Although Jenny was unquestioningly loyal to her now, the rest of the girls had slowly been moving to Sarah's side of the conflict and Sarah feared real trouble would follow if this continued. Vowing to have a serious talk with Jareth about it, Sarah tried to continue as best she could, but Miranda wasn't letting it happen. As Hillevi made a comment about one of Sarah's ideas, she stumbled over a word, struggling for the correct English translation. With a mocking laugh, Miranda taunted her for an idiot. This wasn't the first time Miranda had insulted Hillevi, but the tension of the day finally caught up with her and Hillevi let forth a torrent of Finnish in her direction. Sarah didn't understand a word of it, but she could guess it wasn't pleasant, as could Miranda.

With a yell Miranda knocked her chair over as she got to her feet. No one knew what she intended to do but immediately Sarah and Amber stood in front of Hillevi, preventing Miranda from getting anywhere near their friend. The hatred in Miranda's eyes was clear but the others didn't back down. She was outnumbered and she knew it, so, after a final glare in Hillevi's direction, Miranda stalked out of the room with Jenny following hot on her heels. For a few seconds there was a tense silence in the room, before the girls simultaneously dissolved into nervous giggles.

"That woman is really starting to get on my nerves." Amber said as she and the rest of the girls took their seats.

"You okay Evi?" Sarah asked, turning to her friend.

"Yeah I'm fine." Hillevi replied, but her voice told a different story.

"Don't take it to heart, Miranda can barely speak English and you speak two languages fluently so out of the two of you, I know who I'd lay money on to be the more intelligent." Hannah said with a smile.

Hannah was the eldest of the group. She was only a few months older than Miranda, but the difference between the two was incredible. Hannah was the self confessed 'mother' of the group, always ready with a kind word for all the girls, willing to listen if anyone needed it and a great peace-keeper amongst the smaller disputes. She stayed out of Miranda's way though. For the most part Miranda was able to rile up the girls enough for them to stand up to her themselves, and when they weren't, Sarah had begun to do it for them. Miranda's anger stemmed from her hatred of Sarah in most instances anyway, so Sarah took it upon herself personally to stop her attacking any of the other girls. Things were definitely getting worse though. Hillevi was one of the sweetest girls in the group, everyone got on with her, for Miranda to attack her was out of order. Sarah resolved to let Jareth know just how bad things were, but first she wanted to make sure her friend was okay.

"You know that wasn't aimed at you Evi." Sarah said, hugging her friend. "It's this awful weather, being stuck inside with me, it gets her riled up and she takes it out on anyone she can. Listen, tonight, you, me and Amber are going to lock ourselves in my bathroom and have a complete pampering session."

Hillevi smiled at Sarah's attempt to cheer her up. She had a tendency to take things to heart, but her friends were good at bringing her out of it. A girly night sounded great to her, and those soundproof bathrooms were great for gossiping sessions which always made her feel better. With a true smile Hillevi hugged Sarah back and turned back to the plans in front of her.

At that point the storm outside suddenly ceased and a crystal arrived from Jareth summoning Sarah to the throne room. Sarah ran out gleefully, knowing this could only mean that there was a runner in the Labyrinth, glad that not only would she get away from Miranda for the afternoon, but that the weather would ease as well, allowing the other girls to get out for a while.

Sure enough, she reached the throne room just as Jareth arrived with a sobbing child in his arms. Sarah stopped in the entrance and studied the child. He looked to be about five years old, filthy hair and clothes and he was deeply distressed over something. Seeing Sarah, Jareth inclined his head to beckon her over, handing the child to her wordlessly. Almost immediately the boy's sobs quietened as Sarah's natural motherly instincts took over. Jareth created a chair for her next to his throne and they both took a seat, Sarah cradled the child as Jareth produced a crystal so they could both watch the run.

"His older brother." Jareth informed her, as a picture of a boy around fifteen years old appeared in the crystal.

He was as filthy as the boy in her arms, but he was angry, very angry. Sarah watched silently as he punched and kicked the wall to the Labyrinth in an attempt to get in, constantly shouting and swearing at it. Unconsciously she held the boy in her arms tighter, wanting to protect him from the boy in the crystal.

"Runaways." Jareth continued quietly. "John pretty much kidnapped little Eric here, they've been living on the streets for a few weeks now." There was anger in his voice at John's treatment of his little brother. "For a while John provided food but now he wants Eric to go begging, thinks he'll have more luck. When Eric got scared and refused this morning, John hit him, and it wasn't the first time."

Sarah could see the anger increasing, his knuckles were white he was gripping the crystal that hard. She laid a comforting hand on his arm and after a few seconds Jareth let out the breath he'd been holding, most of his anger draining out with it.

"He won't win." He added quietly. "Eric will stay here."

Realising Eric had gone quiet, Sarah looked down to find the child looking at the image of his brother in the crystal in fear. He seemed to realise he was safe for now, but was clearly worried that John would return.

"Right," Sarah said, standing up and standing Eric before her. "You must be hungry, what do you want to eat?"

For a while Eric was silent, not really knowing what was going on, then quietly he requested some chips.

"Chips it is then." Sarah said happily, summoning a goblin to fetch some.

As soon as Gree came running in, having been waiting outside as he did whenever Sarah watched a runner, a change came over Eric. No longer was he the sad, quiet, scared child, suddenly Sarah could see the happy kid that he'd obviously been before John had made him run away. Pointing at Gree, Eric turned to Sarah excitedly and said,

"'s a goblin!"

"That's right Eric, he's called Gree."

"Hi Gree." Eric said, waving erratically at the little goblin who stood looking at him with a rather confused expression on his face.

"So Gree, Eric here would like some chips, can you bring him some please?"

"And bring some other goblins back with you to help keep Eric entertained." Jareth called out. "Please."

With a ridiculous looking bow, no doubt trying to impress Eric, Gree ran out of the room. Sarah was glad to see that Jareth was sticking with his promise to be polite and even more happy that Gree no longer injured himself in shock whenever it happened. Gree returned before long with some other goblins and Eric was soon happily tucking into a bowl of chips, alternatively eating them and feeding them to the various goblins that danced around him. Sarah had her own lunch brought up and got Jareth some too. He had a disturbing habit of forgetting things like food and drink when there was a runner in the Labyrinth.

As the time passed, Sarah alternated between occasionally watching John, but more often playing with Eric and the goblins. Jareth sat watching Sarah interact with Eric and couldn't help but smile. She was born to be a mother, he just hoped she got the chance to be so. The Labyrinth may not have any available suitors for her, but the surrounding lands certainly did. Not that Jareth wanted to lose her so soon, she worked hard and the Labyrinth no longer resembled the wasteland it had been becoming when she'd first arrived. He didn't want to think about the fact that he didn't want her to leave for more personal reasons. It had been a long time since he'd had an actual friend. Being the Goblin King didn't leave much time for socialising and Jareth enjoyed the time he spent with Sarah, he didn't want her going away any time soon.

At that point John finally managed to make his way into the Labyrinth. A quick glance at the clock told Jareth that five hours had already passed; there was no way that John would get his brother back. The thought made Jareth smile.

It took John another two hours to find his way into the stone maze and then he spent another three hours wandering aimlessly. He wasn't even trying by this time, he had no real desire to win his brother back, but his stubbornness wouldn't let him just wait the thirteen hours out, and they were a long thirteen hours. Jareth didn't bother interacting with him at all, neither did any of the residents of the Labyrinth. Sarah gave up watching the crystal, John's run wasn't inspiring her in the least, and she was enjoying entertaining Eric far too much. He was a very lively child, all his woes from life with his brother already forgotten as he played pleasantly with the mischievous goblins.

Eventually though, with only three hours left, John reached the distraction challenge Sarah had set. Jareth called her over and Sarah left Eric to play ball with the goblins, although she was getting increasingly worried that they planned to use Gree as the ball as soon as Sarah's back was turned.

Reaching the fork in the path with the two removed flagstones, John soon knelt down and looked into the left hole. Instantly he recoiled with a yell of pain as the goblin beneath the path stabbed his nose with a sewing needle it was using as a sword. John was soon back to ground level, shouting at the goblin which was then joined by the goblin in the other hole, both of which were giving as good as they got.

Sarah found herself laughing along as the two goblins alternated between insulting and injuring the boy.

"You calla me little gnome, I poke out your eye you son of a fruit bat." One goblin said, hurling his needle at the boys face.

John deflected it easily but in doing so he wasn't paying any attention to the other goblin.

"This our walka walka, you no walka on it, I take out knees, then see how you fragging walka!" It said, simultaneously stabbing John in the knee with another needle before diving back into the hole.

John immediately ran to that hole, sticking his arm inside trying to find the goblin, not noticing when the goblin appeared in the other hole and both goblins crept out and up to where he lay sprawled, one arm fishing in the other hole. Carefully lifting up another flagstone, the goblins pulled out a length of dental floss. Sarah couldn't help but wonder where they got these items, assuming they simply stole them off unsuspecting runners. The goblins pinned one end under the stone they'd retrieved it from, ran the floss over John's legs and pinned the other end under another flagstone.

Sarah knew there was no way those flagstones were heavy enough to hold John down, but she also knew that the Labyrinth could be just as mischievous as the goblins, and if it wanted the goblins trick to work, the floss would stay secure. Sure enough, when both goblins stabbed John's ankles with their needles, simultaneously taunting him as a 'cocktail shrimp on a stick', he tried to jump up, his knees stayed where they were and he fell back down, hitting his chest hard on the pavement, his face landing in the hole and getting a handful of dirt stuffed into his mouth by another goblin that had joined in the torment. Sarah laughed as he tried to free himself and fend off the two original goblins at the same time, only to find the third goblin sat on his head with fists full of hair telling him to 'sit, horsey, sit'.

A short scuffled followed in which John ended up falling head first into the hole before finally freeing himself and standing up. For a second Sarah worried that he would hurt the goblins; he'd hit his own brother, she knew he was more than capable of it, but John had forgotten about the goblin that was still sat on his head. As John lifted a foot, intent on kicking one of the goblins, the goblin on his head yanked his hair hard, throwing him off balance, and a fourth goblin appeared, ran up behind John and launched itself at the back of his knee, knocking him flat on his face. The two original goblins started running up at down his back, repeatedly stabbing him and singing 'your mother is an aardvark' over and over again. The two new goblins were pulling all the stitches out of the boys jacket while another goblin appeared and began removing John's shoe laces. As more minute goblins appeared to harass the boy, he decided he'd had enough, shook them all off and ran off down the left hand path, leaving his right jacket sleeve and left shoe with the goblins who were now all jumping up and down cheering.

Both Sarah and Jareth were laughing enthusiastically at the entire show, as were a few of the goblins that were lounging on the back of the throne in order to watch. Eric was still distracted, for which Sarah was thankful. As much as he feared his brother, Sarah imagined seeing the torment would have upset him.

"Well your task appears to have been a success." Jareth said once he stopped laughing. "Those goblins managed to distract him for a whole half an hour."

"You might want to ask them to tone the torment down though." Sarah said.

"He deserved all he got and that's only what the goblins will ever a give. A nicer runner will just be confused by them, but John needed to lose a fight for once, he's too used to bullying those smaller than he."

A frown crossed Jareth's face as he looked over at Eric.

"Well he won't have a chance to do that again." Sarah said soothingly. "What's going to happen to Eric though?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well John won't win him back, but what about his parents? From what you said, Eric didn't want to run away, and they must be worried sick."

"They won't remember him Sarah, just like any other child who loses a sibling, all memory's are erased."

"That's hardly fair." Sarah put in, anger building up inside of her. "If they're good parents, they shouldn't have to lose their child, whether they'll remember him or not."

"The rules are clear Sarah." Jareth's anger rose to match hers.

"The rules are wrong!"

"They are what they are."

"Then change them. Give Eric back to his parents, why deny him the chance of his real family?"

"And why deny a Fae couple the chance to have a child? Eric's parent's raised John too and they didn't do a very good job of it, look at him." Jareth shouted, pointing to the crystal where John was once again wreaking havoc on the walls in an attempt to get out of the dead end he'd found his way into.

"That means nothing, sometimes kids go bad. Look at Eric, he's a sweet kid, without his brother he could continue to be so. Give him back, you know it's right."

"Right or wrong, those parents made their choices and they led to them losing both of their sons. In two hours Eric will belong to me and I _will_ give him to a Fae couple who can't have children of their own."

Sarah and Jareth stood facing up to each other, the anger simmering between them, neither willing to back down. It was only then that they heard the whimpering coming from across the room. The anger left Sarah instantly, replaced by guilt. All the goblins had stopped playing to listen to the argument between their King and the girl who had too much power over him, and so had Eric. He was old enough to know exactly what they were saying, and it wasn't just the angry atmosphere that had him upset.

In an instant Sarah had him in her arms but the tears were already pouring from his eyes. Jareth knew at the moment that he'd lost the argument. Erasing a child's mind was a dangerous thing due to the fact that it was still growing, so Jareth tried to avoid. After a few months Underground most children forgot their past lives anyway, allowing the magic of this world to erase their pain. Yet Eric didn't have any pain associated with his parents, only his brother, and Jareth knew if he gave Eric to a Fae couple now, he'd never forget his parents and he'd never be truly happy. Better to give him back now, if things started going wrong later... Well Eric was his and he'd take him back anyway.

With a sigh Jareth walked over to where Sarah knelt comforting Eric and placed a friendly hand on the child's head.

"It's okay Eric, you're going back to your parents in a few short hours."

"John?" Eric asked quietly through his easing sobs.

"You won't see him again."

Instantly the tears were gone, although they were not soon replaced by a smile. Sarah gave him one last hug before he went back to playing with the goblins. Standing up, Sarah turned to face Jareth, fearing some punishment. He was after all the King.

"I'm sorry Jareth." She apologised, and she meant it.

"Don't apologise, you see the human side of this world that I do not. Sometimes I think we need someone like you here."

"Well you've got me." Sarah said, happier now that it had all been resolved. "And I'm not going anywhere, so you can look forward to many more arguments to come."

Jareth laughed at her answer, and Sarah smiled back, both glad their disagreement was over. The remaining hours of John's run passed quickly and he was sent back out to the streets he'd come from. Sarah wasn't too happy with this but there was nothing she could do. John had made the decision to run away and she knew she couldn't send him back to his parents to torment Eric again. She made Jareth promise he'd put John in the path of a charity for runaways, but she still wasn't convinced it would turn out well. Nevertheless, Eric was sent back home and his parents were overjoyed to have him back. Jareth implanted memories of a police officer finding and returning Eric, but with no news of John. The last part upset the parents, but the joy at Eric's return soon overcame them again.

Sarah watched the whole scene though a crystal with Jareth and couldn't help but smile at Eric's obvious happiness to be home. A glance at the clock showed them the girls would probably all be in bed and Sarah felt guilty that she'd missed the girly night she'd promised Hillevi. With a quick goodnight and final thanks to Jareth for allowed Eric to go home, Sarah head back to her bedroom and quickly changed and brushed her teeth before going to bed, promising herself that she'd spend some quality time with Hillevi the next day.


	10. Chapter 10

On looking out of the window the next morning, Sarah's heart sank. The sky was once again black with clouds, the rain so heavy it obscured the view in front of her. There was no chance she would be able to go to the gardens this morning. The thought only worsened the mood that bad weather always left her in. With a sigh she went back to bed but she couldn't sleep so took a leisurely shower before heading off to breakfast earlier than usual. Surprisingly Jareth was already there waiting for her.

"I thought you might come down early this morning." Jareth greeted her as she took her seat next to his.

"Well I can't exactly go out walking in this weather can I?" Sarah replied, her tone more than a little surly.

Jareth laughed at her bleak mood.

"Which is why I've decided to give you all the day off." He added.

"Really?" Sarah asked, surprised.

Up until now she'd worked everyday, not because she had to but merely because she loved the work she was doing so much she couldn't make herself sit still and do nothing for an entire day. The other girls often took days off, some more than others, but never all at the same time.

"Well you can't go out in this weather and I know being cooped up all day isn't good for the temper."

"You can say that again." Sarah grumbled.

Jareth didn't comment but he studied her, knowing she had more to say.

"Things weren't so great yesterday." She explained. "Miranda was more testy than usual, she upset Evi pretty badly."

"Is Hillevi okay?" He asked, concerned.

"Yeah, we got her cheered up again, although I missed the girly pampering session we were supposed to have last night, but she's a happy soul, nothing tends to get her down too long. I just don't want us all cooped up again having to deal with Miranda's moods."

"Hmm," Jareth said, thinking on what she'd said. "Will you keep an eye on her please? Let me know if she gets any worse, upsets anyone else."

"What are you thinking?" Sarah asked, seeing his meditative expression.

"There are punishments here Sarah, I will not have one girl disrupting the group."

His words sent a nervous shiver down her spine. In moments like this he was entirely the Goblin King, worried about his subjects, and Sarah knew he could be truly frightening if he wished. She hoped Miranda managed to get along with everyone from now on, for her own sake. Sarah would not wish to have Jareth's wrath aimed at her any day of the week.

"So," Sarah said, changing the subject in an attempt to lighten the mood. "If there's no work for today, what can we do to amuse ourselves?"

"Well you can have the 'girly session' you were planning last night. There's still quite a few rooms you haven't yet seen and I think one would be just perfect for what you want."

There was an amused glint in his eye that had Sarah more than a little suspicious, but she resolved to not question him about it. Both Jareth and Sarah had finished their breakfasts before the other girls entered, but they waited patiently for Hillevi and Amber to finish. Once they had Jareth stood and invited them and Sarah to follow him. On a whim Sarah turned and invited Hannah, Elissa and Kerry to join them. Elissa was the youngest at just sixteen and fit in well with the group. She'd come from Greece, a sweet chocolate haired, olive skinned girl, who'd been the last to arrive before Sarah, but like Hillevi she was mothered by most of the other girls so she had integrated quickly. Kerry was nineteen and very quiet. She worked well and often hung out with the group, but she didn't say much, just enjoyed the company. Thankfully Miranda and Jenny hadn't arrived to breakfast yet, they tended to sleep late, so Sarah didn't have to worry about inviting them or offending them by not inviting them. Well, not yet at least.

Jareth led them quite a distance through the castle, taking many twists and turns until he eventually stopped before a lone door.

"Everything you need should be inside, if you require anything else, just send a goblin out for it." Jareth said, before walking off and leaving them stood in the corridor.

Sarah looked around at the other girls gathered around her in, just as bewildered as they were, before shrugging her shoulders and opening the door. There were times Jareth could have a sick sense of humour, and times when he got it just right. This was definitely the later. The room they entered was huge. In the centre of it, drawing the eye instantly, was an enormous bed. It literally stretched from one side of the room to the other and was a good few meters wide. It was quite high but over it the girls could see some chairs and bean bags spread out on the other side, facing a wall on which was mounted a giant flat screen TV. Walking further into the room Sarah spotted a DVD player and some games consoles underneath the TV and a cabinet that went all the way to the roof filled with DVDs and games. Turning around, Sarah could see that all along the wall that held the door were numerous vanity tables filled with uncountable beauty products and the door in the wall on the right no doubt led to a bathroom. When Jareth told her to have a girly day, he really meant it.

The gasps and whispers from behind her told Sarah the other girls were just as much in awe of the room, the gift she mentally corrected, as she was.

"Looks like Kingy went all out." Amber said, grinning as she took everything in. "You sure he's not gay Sarah."

The words were said in jest and everyone laughed, but Sarah couldn't help but think how different the atmosphere would be if Miranda was there. Resolving to put the unpleasant woman out of her head, Sarah leapt onto the sumptuous bed, clambered over it and started rummaging through the DVD's, throwing a few of her favourites over to the others as suggestions. Amber and Hillevi joined her in browsing the DVD's but the other girls staked their claims on the bed while Hannah poured drinks for everyone from the table of refreshments that had been hidden by the bed when they'd first entered. The table was also covered in snack food but having just had their breakfasts, no one was quite ready for that yet. After a few friendly votes, The Holiday was chosen as the first film, tissues were grabbed from where they lay on the pillows in readiness for the inevitable tears and the girls settled down for a nice day of relaxation.

Throughout the day the girls drifted from one activity to another, watching films, playing video games, pampering, eating. They stayed up long after they usually would, not wanting to end the lovely time they were having, but one by one they nodded off to sleep on the huge bed that held them all easily and comfortably.

The girls awoke the next day back in their own beds, Jareth having sent them their magically during the night. The rain continued unabated but after having such a lovely day previously, Sarah's mood was unaffected by it. As they'd had such a late night last night, they all overslept, yet still managed to rise before Miranda and Jenny, for which Sarah was eternally grateful, she wanted this good mood to last as long as possible. Breakfast was pleasant, Jareth enquired as to how their previous day had gone and all the girls thanked him for the room, recognising as Sarah did that it was a gift.

With the rain still preventing them from going outside, Jareth split them up into groups, making sure Miranda and Jenny were together and away from the others on Sarah's subtle request, and sent them off to various parts of the castle. There was still only one ending to a run through the castle. With the weather being so nice up until now, no one had wanted to stay inside and work on the castle, so the endings had been ignored, but this seemed like the perfect chance to remedy the situation.

Sarah, as always, was grouped with Amber and Hillevi and they were sent up to one of the towers of the castle. Without a specific runner in mind, coming up with a final task was difficult. The Escher room was the final acceptance that all you knew was wrong and to take that leap of faith for the one you love. For now they needed something similar, a generic leap of faith. They spent the whole day brainstorming, drawing, writing notes, but in the end they could come up with nothing satisfactory. The endings were the hardest which was why they were in such dire need for new ones, but for the three in the tower, nothing was inspiring them. They had goblins bring their meals to them and worked until it was time to go to bed, earlier than usual due to their previous late night. As she took a final look out of the window before climbing into bed, Sarah vowed she would find some time to be alone the next day, as much as she loved the company, two days with no rest was getting to her.

**A/N I actually can't stop saying thank you to you all! The response to this story has been amazing already! I hope you liked this chapter, bit of a feel good, go-slow chapter but I promise another update soon. Thank you once again for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

Sarah's mood was about as low as it could get the following day when she looked out of the window to see a blizzard. The snow was so thick she couldn't even see the ground below and she knew it would be folly to go outside. Instead she decided to explore the castle for a while before breakfast, it wouldn't be as comforting as sitting in the garden, but at least she'd be alone.

Sarah dressed quickly, throwing on a jacket as the castle had grown cold, before wandering off in no particular direction. As she had no purpose she saw all the details of the corridors she passed. All the doors, all of the turnings were visible and she realised how easy it would be to get lost without the castle's power of directing them. The castle was much bigger than she'd realised and she had soon completely lost track of the route she'd taken. All of a sudden every door disappeared and crystal came floating towards it. With a smile of anticipation of another runner and therefore a relief from the awful weather, Sarah quickly hurried after the crystal back to the throne room where she found Jareth lounging with a crystal in one hand and a baby only a few months old in the other arm.

The baby was happy enough and Jareth passed it over without a word as Sarah took a seat beside him on the throne.

"That's Isla." Jareth said, laughing over the way Sarah instantly began fussing over the baby in her arms. "Her thirteen year old spoilt brat of a sister didn't like her stealing their parents attention away."

Sarah would have loved nothing more than to just play with the baby for the next thirteen hours, but she had a job to do, so she turned her attention to the girl in the crystal to find her arguing with one of the fairies.

"Apparently Megan is offended that the fairy won't grant her wish to send her to the centre of the castle." Jareth answered her unspoken question.

"Can they even do that?" Sarah asked, amused at the girl's assumptions.

"Not at all, it looks like she's going to need quite a few challenges if she's going to learn to be less spoiled."

"She will win though won't she?" Sarah asked, worried for the baby in her arms.

"Oh she'll win, just. She needs a tough run though, a few weeks ago her mother was trying to make her food whilst attempting to stop Isla from crying after Megan had snatched her rattle away. Annoyed that she was getting even less attention, Megan knocked the saucepan of spaghetti off the stove, making a mess and managing to burn her hand on the hob at the same time. The water almost hit Isla and her mother so her selfish attitude is putting all of them in danger. Don't worry, thirteen hours here and she'll be a delightful child."

Sarah laughed at Jareth's mocking, knowing the miracles the Labyrinth could achieve, he was probably right. As she watched the girl in the crystal though, her melancholy returned. The sun was shining, it was clearly warm and here she was, still stuck inside. Jareth noticed the frown on her face and enquired as to his cause, worried she was brooding on missing Toby.

"I miss the sun." Was her reply.

Jareth laughed at this, amused by how little things such as weather and solitude could affect her so much.

"Well it'll take Megan a while to stop arguing with the Fairy and actually get inside, and there's something I wanted to show you anyway."

He produced a crystal as he was speaking and they were all soon outside, but nowhere that Sarah had been before. She found herself stood on a gravel path running down the centre of an immaculate lawn. The lawn itself was edged in a variety of vividly colour flowers, some familiar to Sarah, some that did not grow in her world. There were pristine rose bushes dotted about the grass, each ringed on the ground with small, individual flowers of a blood red colour that matched the roses. Roses that Sarah realised she'd seen before in the crystal that she'd watched Hoggle working over in the crystal Jareth had given her. The memory made her smile as she realised Hoggle had created this garden and a hope arose within her that this was her garden.

Following Jareth as he walked down the path, they soon reached an ornate iron and wood bench that faced the garden and took a seat, Sarah removing her jacket in the heat and bouncing Isla on her knee to keep her happy.

"So what do you think?" Jareth asked, looking around.

"It's wonderful!" Sarah exclaimed. "Did Hoggle create this?"

Jareth laughed as he detecting the longing in her voice. He was tempted to drag it out, tease her over her desires, but the garden was his gift to her just as it was Hoggle's gift.

"Yes he did, just for you. I've enchanted the bench you usually occupy in your morning's solitude, once you sit on that, you'll arrive here, if you wish to return, just think it and you shall. Only you and Hoggle can use it, the spell won't work for anyone else."

"And of course you can come here with your crystals." Sarah teased, overjoyed at the splendour she now knew was her own to enjoy.

"Of course." Jareth said, smiling back at her happiness.

"But why did you wait until now to show it to me?" Sarah asked. "Not that I'm not eternally grateful, it's a stunning garden."

"Hoggle only finished it this morning."

"He was gardening in that weather?" Sarah asked, shocked,

"No," Jareth answered, laughing. "I asked the Labyrinth for a favour. The season transitions, and winter in general, would have undone all of Hoggle's hard work, but the Labyrinth appears to like you so it acquiesced to my request that this garden stay forever summer."

Knowing he was royalty and she probably shouldn't, but unable to resist, Sarah threw one of her arms around Jareth, careful not to jostle Isla, and thanked him again for his gift. This place would make her morning wanderings all that more pleasant.

"I does all the work and you thank 'im. Should 'av expected as much."

Sarah's smile widened as she turned to face Hoggle who had appeared on the bench beside her.

"Thank you Hoggle, this means the world to me." She said before hugging him too.

"Well ya needn't 'av hugged me." Hoggle answered, his face frowning but his tone showing his appreciation of her gratitude, despite the hug.

Sarah laughed at his attitude before spotting Jareth producing a crystal and settled down to watch the runner whilst still languishing in the summer sunshine. Hoggle soon walked off to continue his gardening duties. Megan's run involved a lot of tasks and Sarah suspected that Jareth even extended her time to give her a proper lesson. One by one most of the girls were brought in as Megan encountered a challenge they'd set and all of them rushed off quickly afterwards, struck with new inspiration from the girl's run. This was exactly what the group needed, new blood to stir things up a bit.

As the hours dragged by, Gree constantly ran back and forth from the castle and the garden, bringing food and drink, milk for Isla, toys to entertain her, a changing bag. Sarah alternated between watching Megan and caring for Isla, torn between her maternal instincts and her imagination, writing down ideas and improvements in the notebook Gree fetched from her room.

It was as Megan was reaching the end of her run, tired, hungry and eternally altered by the challenges she'd faced, that inspiration really struck.

"Jareth I need you to reorder time." Sarah said, the excitement within her growing rapidly.

"Oh is that all?" Jareth asked mockingly.

Reordering time was not a simple task, but Sarah's excitement had invoked his own innate curiosity so he was more than willing to expend the energy required to do it. Sarah barely noticed the tone of his words, so caught up was she in her own plans. Without thinking she pulled the crystal he'd given her Aboveground out of her pocket of her jacket and used it to show Jareth the exact place where she wanted time to slow down. She told him she needed about three hours extra time and to make sure that the Megan's run was directed through that path instead of ending at the castle. Without waiting for an answer Sarah handed Isla to Jareth, told Hoggle to follow her and willed herself to the other bench in the normal garden, before running off into the Labyrinth, her brain working feverishly working out the details of a new ending for Megan's run.

Jareth, meanwhile, was stunned. The crystal he'd given Sarah had only one purpose; to bring her back to the Labyrinth after her visit to Toby. Once she'd used it, it should have disappeared. Sure the crystals didn't always fade after use, but they lacked magic. Sarah's crystal should have been nothing more than a pretty bauble, for her to be able to use magic through it was impossible. Jareth winced at the thought, knowing it wasn't entirely accurate, but dreading what it could mean.

Sarah meanwhile had reached the gate between the goblin city and the Labyrinth proper, the place where she had met Humongous. Megan would not be going through the goblin city or reaching the castle, her run would end here. Sending Gree off to recruit more goblins for the task, she quickly explained her plans to Hoggle, revising and improving them in her head as she went along.

The inspiration had come from the story Jareth had told her of Megan burning herself. Incidents like that could spark fears that lasted a lifetime, and Sarah was hoping it had at least left a lasting impression. Megan would associate fire with pain and the resentment she held towards her sister as the irrational, childish part of her brain would no doubt blame Isla for it.

By this time the other goblins had arrived, along with Ludo. After greeting Ludo with a loving hug, Sarah set the goblins to work, using Ludo and the restored Humongous to lift the existing doors off their hinges. Wood was then brought in to construct a new door, or more accurately, a barricade, as it was one solid door and would not open once constructed. Once that was finished, Sarah sent Gree off to find Sir Didymus whilst having the goblins paint a small section of the door white. After Sir Didymus had arrived and had greeted Sarah warmly, she asked him to write a riddle in the doorway. Sir Didymus's formal training in his youth had included calligraphy, which in this world only involved being able to write legibly, so it was necessary to get Didymus to write it as Sarah's handwriting was almost as bad as the goblins. Once Sarah had dictated the riddle and Sir Didymus had written it, a few materials that Megan would need were hidden nearby and then the challenge was finished.

Sarah couldn't help but feel pleased with herself and she thanked the goblins, Sir Didymus, Ludo and Hoggle for their help before running off back to her new garden, and to Jareth.

"I've got to say, I'm impressed." Jareth said to her when she returned.

"Why thank you." Sarah answered, checking on Isla who lay asleep in a cradle that Jareth had obviously had brought while she'd been working on Megan's final task.

No more words were spoken as Jareth allowed time to return to normal and Megan came upon the newly built door. She stared at it for a few minutes before reading the riddle aloud.

"Spirited jig it dances bright,

banishing all but the darkest night.

Give it food and it will live;

Give it water and it will die."

For a while after Sarah had arrived, she'd underestimated most of the runner's intelligence, treating them as children, always worrying the tasks were too hard. Yet time after time the children that ran the Labyrinth had astonished her, working things out with relative ease. Sarah worried that the riddle might be too difficult, yet Megan stood there less than two minute before speaking the word 'fire'.

Sarah smiled at the girls triumph, but it was only half complete. Not yet realising the full task, Megan studied the door, tried to break off some of the panels, no longer getting angry as she had at the start of the Labyrinth, proof of how much she had learnt and changed in those hours. After realising the door wouldn't open, Megan began looking around, eventually coming upon the box of matches and pile of kindling the goblins had hidden. It was only then that true understanding hit, and the fear was clear on Megan's face.

The only way to get through the door, to reach the castle and save Isla, was to burn it down. But Megan remembered the stove, she remembered how much the fire had hurt when it had burnt her hand. She also remembered her sister, remembered why she was here. The conflicting emotions showed on her face and Sarah's heart went out to her as she watched. This final task was important though, it could not be skipped. Megan needed to truly put her sister before her own fears, before her own cares. All it would take was one match. She just needed to light it and touch it to the door and the door would be gone. No bonfire, no dangerous flames, the matches and the door would simply disappear allowing Megan to get to her sister.

Knowing it was time to interact with her, as he had been doing at various points during her run, Jareth handed the crystal to Sarah so she could keep on watching, and transported himself to where Megan stood.

"Is she worth it Megan?" He asked quietly.

Megan shrieked and spun around, shocked by his sudden appearance.

"She's my sister." She eventually managed to get out.

"But you remember how much fire hurts, how painfully your hand was burned. Is it worth risking that again? Just walk away." Jareth produced a crystal at this point, the inside swirling as though filled with water, and held it out to the young girl in front of him. "Just take the crystal, choose water not fire. Walk away, don't risk hurting yourself more."

Megan hesitated. She loved her sister, but the thought of another burn terrified her. For a few seconds she hovered between the two choices, worn down by hunger and fatigue, but eventually her inborn strong nature took over. Her face hardened and she turned her back on Jareth, facing the gate again. As she did so she was unable to see Jareth smile at her decision.

Her hands shook as she struck the match, but it ignited regardless. The fear broke out again but Megan was determined and before she could lose her nerve, she touched the match to the door. Instantly the vision in the crystal changed. Sarah watched the door disappear, then Megan did and at the same time, Isla faded from the cradle in front of her. Sarah knew they had both been returned home and she smiled at the Labyrinth's newest triumph, confident that life would be happier for the two girls from now on, but as always, a melancholy set in as the world around her was once again devoid of children. Jareth returned at that point, sitting down next to her on the bench and sending Gree back to the castle with the cradle.

"That was a very impressive task Sarah, well done."

Sarah couldn't help but smile at his praise, but she was worried. She'd been so caught up in her excitement over creating the task that she hadn't thought through the practical aspects of Megan's future.

"Will Megan be okay?" She asked Jareth.

"What do you mean?" He asked in reply, confused at her tone.

"Well she's no longer scared of fire, but what if she associates it with good now, becomes careless around flames and ends up hurting herself or someone else."

Jareth laughed at Sarah's concern, wondering how she could have spent so long here and not truly understand the nature of the Labyrinth.

"The only lesson she learnt from that task was how much she loved Isla. The Labyrinth is clever Sarah, it would never leave a child in danger from any of its tasks."

With a smile, Sarah leaned back against the bench to watch the sun set in peace. The magic of the garden kept it warm, but now that winter was setting in the sun went down earlier. The dying light set the world alight and the view of the garden was beautiful. Sarah and Jareth sat in silence, enjoying the peace around them, pleased with how today's run had gone, and completely at ease with their friendship.


	12. Chapter 12

The weather the next day was calm, and although Sarah wasn't too keen on the cold and the fact that her usual time of awakening was now long before dawn, at least she could go out again without having to wait for a runner. Wrapping up warm she sent Gree off to get her a light of some kind. The little goblin had taken to sleeping in her shoes very early on, so he was always there if she needed anything first thing in the morning. By the time he returned carrying a lantern that, although clean, looked as though it was centuries old, Sarah was wearing as many layers as she could without looking like a snowman herself.

The bedroom was warm but the castle corridors were not and Sarah was glad of the many layers before she even got outside. As she walked out of the castle doors it was still night, not even the faintest glimmer of dawn showed on the horizon, but Sarah found her way easily enough to her own garden. When she appeared on the bench she immediately began to strip off a few layers, it was still dark here, but at least it was warm and she thanked the Labyrinth out loud for the lingering summer.

Sarah sat for longer than usual that morning, enjoying the first real solitude she'd had in days, feeling the peace seep back into her bones. She'd missed this, the calming effect that being alone in the gardens of the Labyrinth had on her. Better than a day off filled with pampering and movies, better than a long Sunday lie in, the Labyrinth had a magic effect on her. She loved her new home with all her heart, but only here, alone, could she truly appreciate its beauty and majesty.

Eventually she realised it must be time to go back in. As time worked differently in this world, Aboveground watches didn't work properly, so the girls relied on the clocks in the castle and the goblins to let them know the time. Here, alone, Sarah had no way of knowing precisely what time it was, but the sun had peeked its way over the horizon now and in the deep winter that it obviously was, that could only mean it was late in the morning.

As Sarah was about to rise, a thought struck her. Curious, she reached into the pocket of her little jacket, which she'd thrown on under a larger jacket for more warmth, and pulled out her crystal. Concentrating on thinking of the breakfast hall, she soon found herself gazing on it, not at all surprised to see that breakfast was almost over and only Hillevi and Amber remained, no doubt waiting for her. With a smile of triumph, Sarah placed the crystal back in her pocket, put all her layers back on and returned to the normal gardens.

The sight that met her was stunning. The sun had risen enough now that Sarah could see the whole landscape in front of her. No longer a riot of colour from flowers and trees, the entire garden was covered in pure white snow. Of course she'd felt the snow as she'd trudged through it in the dark, but looking at it now, sparking in the morning sun, it was a beautiful sight. She almost didn't want to ruin it by walking through it again, but a grumble from her stomach and the touch of a frosty wind on her face soon had her walking quickly back inside.

Thankfully the dining hall was as warm as the bedroom had been, so Sarah was soon back down to her indoor clothes. She had a large bowl of porridge for breakfast, enjoying its warming effect whilst telling her friends all about last night's run and the new ending, sharing her ideas for a few more tasks based around runners facing their fears. They in turn kept her up to date on their work.

After breakfast all three went to the morning brainstorming session, only to find the library completely empty. Well almost empty.

"I sent the girls outside," Jareth said from his perch in the far corner, shocking them all by his unexpected presence. "Elissa and Kerry were driving the others to distraction constantly staring at the door and longing to go out. I believe at the moment they're having a mass snowball fight with some of the goblins out in the goblin city."

There was a grin of amusement on his face, a grin that always meant the goblins were up to mischief. At the mention of a snowball fight, Hillevi began to edge towards the door, no doubt eager to join in, and Amber cast a few longing glances herself. Laughing, Sarah told them to go ahead, she'd meet them out there, and seconds later they were gone, racing each other as they went.

"So if all the fun is happening out there," Sarah asked Jareth, "Why are you sat here in the library?"

"The treaty with the gnomes is up for renewal." Jareth answered, holding up the scroll he was reading. "I need to go over the terms and decide if it needs updating before meeting with the gnome leader next week."

"And on that note I'm off to join the snowball fight." Sarah said, laughing again as she walked out.

Jareth meanwhile was not laughing. He didn't like lying to Sarah, but his research was sensitive. Sarah shouldn't be able to use her crystal to see other parts of the Labyrinth, she shouldn't be able to use it for anything. Jareth knew of only one instance where a resident of the Labyrinth could use its magic, and he didn't like what this indicated. With a wave of his hand all of the documents relating to magic use in the Labyrinth piled on the table and then he transported them and himself to his personal office, preferring to do his research in private until he knew just what he was dealing with.

Sarah had reached the castle gates by this time and the sight that met her eyes when she stepped outside was incredible. When Jareth had told them a mass snowball fight was going on, it had been an understatement. This wasn't a fight, this was a war. Every goblin in the Labyrinth appeared to have joined in, and a good few other creatures as well. Looking around at the chaos in the goblin city, trying to distinguish what was going on through the blizzard of snowballs obscuring her view, Sarah's sight was drawn to Ludo who was being used as a living shield by three goblins who were up against Elissa. Hannah and Kerry appeared to have commandeered a cannon and were using it to shoot snowballs at a large group of goblins who were flinging them straight back, no doubt the magic of the Labyrinth was keeping the snowballs from falling apart in the cannon. Even Miranda and Jenny had joined in the fun.

Looking around further, Sarah spotted Hillevi and Amber. They'd apparently teamed up with Sir Didymus who was attempting to draw some war strategy on the ground and explain it to them whilst the girls were too busy attacking some goblins who were hiding behind the fountain to pay attention to him. Immersed immediately in the fun of the game, Sarah made a pile of snowballs herself and then started throwing them at the goblins who, in hiding behind the fountain, were in full view of her. Realising they were under attack from both sides, the goblins split up into two groups, one focusing on Hillevi and Amber, the other on Sarah.

The war lasted for hours, until every girl and goblin was soaked to the skin and shivering, but happy to the core, despite not having a clue who the winners were. One by one the humans all crept back inside to warm themselves in the shower before heading to the dining room to see if there was any food left over from lunch. They were sorely disappointed to find it completely empty, realising then that all the goblins had been out in the snowball fight so no one had been cooking. A couple of the girls considered asking Jareth for help, but Sarah had a better idea.

Telling Hillevi, Amber and Hannah to follow her, she went running out of the door. When she eventually stopped the others were completely lost, but they soon realised what she was up to when she opened the door she'd stopped in front of. It was the room they'd had their girly session in.

"Dang girl, you're good." Amber exclaimed before moving towards the table that was constantly filled with all the food they needed. Each of them loaded themselves up with as much as they could carry, Sarah picking up a tray of steaming hot chocolate that had appeared, before going back to the dining room, more slowly this time, and laying out the improvised feast.

"Dig in." Sarah told them, before doing so herself.

Sarah noticed that Miranda only hesitated a second before taking her share and she hoped it was a good sign. From what the others girls had said, she'd been surly after their girly day, realising she'd been left out of something, but not knowing what as the other girls had not said a word in front of her. Sarah had feared another fall out, but it looked like it might have improved the situation and she was glad for it.

After lunch the girls retired to the library and had a brainstorming session until dinner. Sarah laid out her ideas for new tasks based on facing fears and, with help from the others, came up with a new idea for a bridge much further up the river. They'd needed a new bridge for a while, the river came out into a ravine at its source and the runs were either being directed around it, or the Labyrinth created an illusion of ground to allow runners to cross it. A bridge at this point would be very high above the river and therefore a difficult obstacle for those afraid of heights, or a convenient way across for those who weren't.

By the time they went for dinner, plans for the bridge were well under way and the others had come up with a few ideas of their own. The mood of the group was much lighter after their morning's activities and so it was a rather boisterous party at dinner that night. The goblins were the same and so more accidents occurred, more food was spilt and a couple of the girls dresses would have been forever ruined if it weren't for Jareth's quick magical intervention. Nevertheless, once dinner was over and the girls had returned to their room, they soon became sleepy, their physical exertions of the day took over and it was an early night all around.

**A/N Thank you once again for reading and for those leaving reviews, I love you.**


	13. Chapter 13

For the next week life continued much as it had before the seasons changed, but Sarah's hope that Miranda's attitude had altered proved false. In truth it got worse, her insults sharper and more frequent. She tended to focus more on Sarah now, leaving the other girls alone for which Sarah was thankful, but there was clearly a deep-rooted hatred with Miranda and she was making life exceedingly unpleasant for everyone with her attitude.

There'd been no runners in the Labyrinth since Megan, and Sarah gone back to spending time with Jareth after the evening meal, a move that had no doubt led to the increased hostilities between her and Miranda. Many a time Sarah returned to the bedroom quite late after she and Jareth had been immersed in a conversation, usually about one aspect of the Labyrinth or another, its history, its magic, but often they just enjoyed talking of mundane subjects like friends are wont to do.

It was the morning after one of these evenings where Sarah had returned long after everyone else had gone to bed that Miranda woke up in a very bad mood. She'd insulted Hannah, upset Kerry and generally angered everyone else in the room within five minutes of getting up. For once, Sarah was present as the other girls dressed, having stayed up so late the previous night she'd overslept, and it was as Miranda passed her that she deliberately knocked Sarah's satin nightgown off the end of the bed, stood on it and ripped a hole in it with her heels.

Sarah's reaction was no doubt excessive, born from lack of sleep and built up irritation with Miranda's behaviour, but she was furious. It had taken her a while to get used to the very feminine clothes her wardrobe kept producing for her, no doubt under Jareth's guidance. But after weeks of formal evening meals and etiquette training from Jareth in some of their evening discussions, she'd finally given in and started wearing the silks and satins she was presented with. She'd even grown quite fond of the satin nightgown that was now ruined by Miranda's petty jealously.

"You'd better have a good reason for doing that." Sarah said, moving to stand face to face with Miranda.

The redhead barely flinched, seemingly unaffected by Sarah's anger. With a smug look on her face, no doubt glad she'd managed to rile Sarah up, she turned to leave. She hadn't counted on Gree's loyalty though. Angered by the woman's treatment of 'his Sarah' as the little goblin thought of her, Gree launched himself at he feet, tripping her up and knocking her to the floor. Miranda was on her feet almost instantly, fury filling her every cell. Without thinking she raised her foot and kicked Gree across the room.

If Sarah had been furious before, it was nothing to what she felt seeing her little friend abused so. No conscious thought went through her mind as she raised her arm to slap Miranda, it was only afterwards she felt regret, hating the fact that she'd resorted to violence. As for Miranda, she was so shocked by the slap that it took her a few seconds to react. Her eyes narrowed as her hatred of the King's favourite increased, but she was not one to fight with her equals, she preferred to pick on those smaller and weaker than herself. With a threat for Sarah to watch herself, Miranda stormed out of the room.

Once she'd left, all the anger drained out of Sarah, so ashamed was she at what she'd done. She sat down on the bed near tears, not just at her guilt but also her feeling of helplessness over the way the situation between her and Miranda had deteriorated. Jenny followed Miranda out quickly, throwing Sarah a disgusted look. After that, the other girls left for breakfast one by one, all giving Sarah comforting words as they did so. As Hillevi left, she advised Sarah to just ignore Miranda, something she'd been told many times herself. Sarah was left alone with Amber.

"If I were you," Amber said, lacing up her trainers. "Ignoring her would be the last thing I'd do."

"What's her problem?" Sarah asked, moving to sit on Amber's bed.

"Love. Or lust. I'm not even sure she knows which." Amber looked up and saw the confused look on Sarah's face before explaining. "Sarah, anyone with half a brain can see that you and Kingy are just friends. Unfortunately Miranda's a dolt when it comes to these things. All she knows is that she wants him and in some way, you have him. You're close to him, she's not, and jealousy's a dangerous thing. I'd watch your back."

"You think she's dangerous?" Sarah asked, beginning to get worried.

"I think she could be. My advice? Try and keep some distance between you and the King. Let Miranda realise there's nothing going on."

This was easier said than done, however, as Jareth chose that moment to walk into the bedchamber.

"Ah Sarah, good, come with me."

Turning away from her, Jareth threw a crystal at Sarah's bed and the covers and all her possessions instantly disappeared. Without another word he turned and strode for the door. He'd almost left the room before he realised Sarah hadn't moved from Amber's bed.

"Well?" He asked.

Sarah remained where she was, looking him directly in the eyes. For a few moments they both stayed perfectly still, eyes locked on each other. The only sound to break the silence was Amber's quiet laughter as she realised exactly what Sarah was waiting for. It took Jareth a few moments longer but eventually he rolled his eyes before mockingly saying:

"My dearest Sarah, would you please do me the great honour of accompanying me."

Smiling, Sarah stood up and walked over to him.

"See, and all it took was 'please'."

Jareth bowed to her before following her out the door. Amber was left alone, still smiling at the carefree way those two got on. It would be a shame for someone to get in between them. Vowing to keep a better eye on Miranda, Amber set off for breakfast.

"So where are we going then?" Sarah asked as she followed Jareth down an unfamiliar corridor.

"If I have to learn manners, you have to learn patience." He replied.

"You're impossible, Jareth." Sarah laughed as she walked.

Eventually Jareth stopped before an unremarkable door.

"Lady Sarah, may I present your new bedchamber."

With a flourish of his arm he opened the door and together they stepped into a room that made Sarah's jaw drop in stock. She'd spent two months in a room with seven other women. Before that, she'd been in a university dormitory. Even her room at home, lovely as it was, wasn't exactly large. So the room she was now standing in left her in awe.

The bed was the first thing to catch her attention. It was at least king-sized, more than three times the size of the beds she was used to. It was also a four-poster, which was a welcome novelty, with burgundy velvet drapes and burgundy satin sheets to match. Even from this distance, it looked sumptuously comfortable. And it was a fair distance, the room was large, but it needed to be with all it contained. The wardrobe took up most of the wall to her right, and Sarah dreaded what she would find inside it. A large writing desk stood to her left. It was made of mahogany and looked heavy enough to give even the most sturdy of goblins trouble lifting it. One half of it consisted of multiple drawers and, unlike the wardrobe, Sarah was eager to discover its contents. Her attention was soon drawn to the rest of the room, a bookcase stood to one side of the desk filled with what Sarah soon discovered were her favourite books and a small vanity desk was on the left wall. Next to that was a door that Sarah assumed led to her bathroom. At the far side of the room were a couch and some chairs, along with a small table and what looked like a silver tea service. Clearly an area for entertaining. Sarah let out a little chuckle at the thought of Hoggle drinking tea out of a china teacup, before crossing the room and opening the large French windows.

As with most rooms in the castle, she had her own private balcony, but this one was large enough to hold four chairs and a table. A lovely place for breakfast, Sarah thought. Smiling widely now, Sarah ran over to hug Jareth and thank him profusely for his gift, for a gift it most certainly was. Jareth couldn't help but grin and hug her back before telling her he was well within his rights to have her flogged for touching his royal person. To which Sarah replied she'd kick his royal ass if he so much as tried.

"It is going to cause trouble though." She said after a few minutes of perusing the room.

"Miranda." Jareth guessed, correctly, his forehead creasing into a frown.

"She's getting worse." Sarah said, indicating the torn nightgown that Jareth had transported to her new bed.

Walking back to the couch, Sarah sat down and offered Jareth a seat. He chose one of the chairs and leant back in thought.

"I've had my doubts about her for a while now. The girl didn't have an easy childhood, and she came very close to failing to get her stepsister back, but her imagination was incredible, second only to yours. She was a natural choice for the Labyrinth, but I worry about the state of her mind sometimes."

"So what should we do?" Sarah asked after a few moments of silence.

"There's not much we can do. As yet she's done nothing that requires punishment. Keep an eye on her for now, if things get worse, we'll have to make a decision then."

"Hmm, you might want to give her a bedroom of her own though." Sarah suggested, knowing just how much jealousy it would cause if Miranda, or indeed any of the girls saw this one.

"Fine, but she's not having one anywhere near this one." Jareth replied with a sly smile on his face.

"Oh and why is that?" Sarah asked suspiciously.

"Because this one's right next door to mine." Sarah groaned in despair, praying Miranda never discovered this interesting little fact.

"Anyway," Jareth continued, standing up as he did so. "Less talk, shouldn't you be working?"

"Yes I should." Sarah answered, standing up too. "The new bridge isn't going so well."

"Oh really?" There was concern in his voice.

"One of the goblins fell off it yesterday and now the rest of them are more interested in using what's been built so far as a diving board than finishing building it."

Although Sarah frowned at the thought, the goblins antics were amusing nonetheless. Their idea of a diving competition seemed to be entirely contradictory to those of Aboveground. Points were awarded for the biggest splash, getting the most spectators wet, incurring the most severe injury and, annoyingly for Sarah, destroying parts of the bridge in the process of the dive. As a result, the bridge was now half the size it had been when the original goblin fell off, half the goblins had been carted off with injuries and the river below had turned almost completely to mud, resulting in still more goblins being unable to work as they were getting stuck in the mud for hours on end.

"Well then go shout at them." The Goblin King advised. "I've found that works very effectively, especially when you're the one doing the shouting." Sarah gave him a look that would make a lesser man quail, but Jareth simply stood there, grinning inanely until Sarah gave up and smiled in defeat.

"Fine, I'll go find Hoggle and then shout at them all, see if it has any effect."

"There's no need."

"For what?" Sarah asked, thoroughly confused.

"To find Hoggle, your two months are up."

It took a few seconds for his words to sink in before they filled Sarah with joy. So that was the reason for the room. In reality, Sarah knew there wouldn't be much of a difference to her life other than not needing to find an escort in order to leave the castle, yet that little bit of freedom seemed like a big thing. Smiling, she resisted the urge to hug Jareth again, and realised just how much their relationship had changed over the past couple of months. No longer was she the surly prisoner, no longer he the captor. They were friends. No matter what Miranda thought, friends were all they were, but that friendship meant a lot to Sarah.

"In that case I shall proceed straight to the shouting." Sarah said, preparing to leave.

"No need for that either. I just removed the river. In about three seconds Gramlik's about to get a serious concussion and after the rest of them have stopped laughing, they'll soon get back to work."

"Well now what am I going to do? Shouting was supposed to take up most of my day." Sarah shot back, pretending to pout.

"Actually there's something I wanted to talk to you about. Now that your two months are up, all the girls are full residents of the Underground. I was thinking we should hold some sort of event to mark the occasion."

All the joviality had gone out of his voice. Realising he was asking her opinion, Sarah took a seat again.

"You mean like a ball?" She asked, a note of unease creeping into her voice.

"A ball, perfect." Jareth stated, beginning to pace. "It's about time the Goblin Kingdom threw another ball, why not combine the two? In fact, you're all of age and unmarried, now you're residents you're fully eligible. Of course I wouldn't want you all running off and getting married soon, that would defeat the point of you coming here, but you must all certainly be presented to court..."

His speech was picking up pace, the excitement clear as he walked back and forth.

"Whoa!" Sarah interrupted, fearful of where his thoughts would take him if she didn't stop him now. "I'm not sure some of the girls even want to be 'presented', they're still just settling in, they don't want to be harassed by Fae men."

"You mean you don't." Jareth said, irritated slightly by her opposition.

"Well yes. I'm far too young to get married and living in a new world is hard enough without having to fend off foreign men."

"You think a lot of yourself don't you?"

"You know what I mean, I don't need any more complications." Her anger matched his and he knew it.

Throwing his arms up he admitted defeat, knowing a long and drawn out argument would only reach the same conclusion.

"Alright, alright, no presenting. But you shall all be wearing traditional ball gowns that mark you of age, so you may still find yourself having to fend off a few Fae nobles. Just try not to insult them, the last thing I need is to have to go to war over some minor point of honour." The anger was gone now, letting them get back to the important things.

"So we're agreed on a ball then?" Jareth continued.

"Agreed." Sarah paused slightly before adding. "As long as I get to approve my dress."

Jareth couldn't help but laugh as he realised Sarah knew exactly what had been going through his head.

"Okay, no pink meringue dress, we'll come to some sort of compromise."

They shook hands, yet Sarah still got the feeling that she was going to come off worst in this deal.

"So how long do you think it'll take you to organise?"

"Me?" Sarah spluttered in shock.

"Well who else is going to do it?"

"Don't you have some kind of assistant or events organiser?" Sarah asked, dreading being put in charge of an event of this magnitude.

Jareth simply laughed at her question.

"Sarah, the Labyrinth hasn't hosted any kind of event in time beyond remembering, we have no need of an events organiser. Until now of course. Actually, if the ball is a success, I think I'll make you the official events organiser."

"I want a raise." Sarah said, grimacing at the thought of all the extra work.

"I just gave you a room." Jareth replied, grinning in that infuriatingly arrogant way of his.

"Damn it." Was Sarah's only reply. Jareth laughed at her response.

"Now Sarah, that language is not appropriate for a lady. Come on, what is it you were wanting?"

"I want to visit my brother more often." Her voice was entirely sober now.

She missed Toby terribly. So far she'd only been to visit him once since she'd come to the Underground and it simply wasn't enough. She'd gone from seeing him everyday when she lived at home, to seeing him every weekend when she moved to university, and now she'd only seen him for one afternoon in two months. It was a harsh blow and seeing him more often was the only real thing she desired, especially now she had her own room.

"Of course Sarah. Now you are a full resident of the Labyrinth you can travel back to visit your family whenever you want, as long as you keep up your work to the level and standard that it is now. I know that these past two months have been hard, but they were necessary to make sure you fully integrated into your new life here."

Sarah knew his words were true. Had she been able to go home whenever she wanted she'd have spent so much time there she would never have accepted the Labyrinth as her new home. It had hurt though, the lack of freedom, she'd felt trapped. Knowing it was over now felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Looking up at the Goblin King she smiled at him and thanked him for his generosity. Despite their closeness he was still King, he could still make her life very difficult if he so chose to, she would never take his kindness for granted.

"Well, you can't very well plan this ball alone, so I'll assign one of the goblins to assist you."

Sarah groaned at the irony of her own thoughts. There goes the generosity. No goblin's interpretation of 'assist' would make her task easier in any way. She was about to ask Jareth to reconsider his offer when he cut her off.

"I think Atalia will do, she's half Goblin, half Gnome. The earth elementals are a lot more grounded than the Goblins, less prone to pranks and the carefree attitude that lead most Goblins to get in the way of every conceivable task. She's lived here her whole life so knows all the necessary protocol. Yes, I think she'll do nicely."

With a very self-congratulatory smile Jareth got to his feet, begged his leave, gave Sarah a mock bow and went to find Atalia to instruct her on helping Sarah. Sarah meanwhile was left less than reassured. Sure Atalia was half-Gnome… but she was also half-Goblin. She got the feeling organising this ball was going to be a very interesting task indeed.

**A/N Apologies for the delay in updating, I've been having some internet issues, but all is fixed now! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter :)**


	14. Chapter 14

"Ladies, tomorrow we are going to have guests for dinner."

A ripple of whispers went around the dinning table as the excitement arose in all that were gathered there. The girls waited for Jareth to say more but apparently that was all he was going to reveal for the moment. Dinner was almost finished so the girls hurried their desserts before rushing out as soon as they were excused to speculate over who the guests were to be. Sarah remained behind out of habit, but Jareth rose as the last girl left the room.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to attend our usual discussion tonight Sarah, the visit is at rather short notice so I need the time to prepare."

"May I enquire as to who is visiting?" Sarah asked, continuing the formal manners she always adopted at dinner, no doubt she'd been needing them sooner than expected.

"You may." Jareth said with a mischievous grin. "But I shall have to decline to answer. You'll find out with the rest of the girls tomorrow night."

"Then I bid you goodnight Your Highness." Sarah said, rising and giving Jareth a slight curtsey before going to leave.

"Sarah," Jareth called out to her, waiting until she'd turned before continuing. "I must compliment you on your conduct. At the evening meals you are a perfect lady."

Sarah felt herself blush at his comments. It was true that she now found it incredibly easy to slip into the role of a lady when dressed in such sumptuous dresses and surrounded by finery, but it had not been easy at first. She appreciated the compliment and said so before departing.

As soon as the dinning room door closed behind her though, all decorum left her and she ran as fast as she could in her heels back to her own room, not at all surprised to find Hillevi and Amber waiting there for her. All of the girls had been given their own rooms the previous day, after Sarah had been presented with hers. Amber's room was next to Sarah's, with Hillevi's next to Ambers. Jareth trusted Sarah to not disclose the location of his own room, but even if she should let it slip, he trusted her two closest friends as much as she did. Hannah, Elissa and Kerry had rooms together in the next wing, whilst Miranda and Jenny's adjoining rooms were at the far end of the castle. Complete coincidence of course. Luckily, as none of the other girls knew where Jareth's bedroom was, Miranda had no chance to be jealous of Sarah's proximity or angered at her own distance from it.

Despite having their own rooms, the girls often gathered in each other's on an evening or met up in the 'Rouge Room' as the room they had spent their girly day in had been named. So far they'd managed to keep this room a secret from Miranda and Jenny, so it was still a happy, pleasant place to be. The separate rooms had helped ease the tension in the group slightly, but Miranda had been as vindictive in her comments as ever that day, a situation the Sarah couldn't see changing any time soon.

Nevertheless, Miranda wasn't there now and for that Sarah was extremely happy.

"So, did he tell you who was visiting?" Hillevi asked excitedly as soon as Sarah walked through the door.

Sarah laughed at her eagerness and began to take the pins out of her elaborate hair do before replying.

"No he didn't and you know better than to ask that. Even if he had I couldn't have told you."

Hillevi's face fell at the news but it was no more than she had expected. Her spirits weren't dampened for long though; they were still to have company. The girls spent the remaining hours before bed speculating over who the visitors could be, but Jareth was good at keeping his secrets and they went to bed none the wiser than they had been at dinner. Sleep was very elusive that night for all of them, which wasn't going to help them be at their best the next day, yet none of them could help it. In the entire time they'd been there, between the two months for Sarah and five months for Miranda, there hadn't been a single visitor to the Labyrinth that they'd been aware of. Sarah began to wonder about Jareth's motives. First the ball, now this visit. He'd mentioned the girls being eligible for marriage, but as he'd said, he didn't want them leaving soon as it would negate the reason for bringing them to the Labyrinth. So what was going on?

Her thoughts on Jareth's purposes and curiosity over tomorrow's visitor kept her awake for hours, long after tomorrow had turned into today. In the small hours of the morning, as sleep was finally beginning to take hold of her, she heard footsteps in the hall followed by Jareth's door opening and closing and moments later, his balcony door did the same. Sarah tried her hardest to continue into sleep, but her curiosity was once again ablaze and, with a sigh, she got out of bed, pulled on a thick woollen dressing gown and stepped out into the cold night on her balcony.

She regretted the move instantly, longing for the warmth of her bed, but Jareth had spotted her so there was no retreat. With a quick glance back at her sumptuous bed, Sarah closed her balcony door to keep the heat inside and walked to the low wall that connected her and Jareth's balconies.

"You should have been asleep hours ago." He commented, taking in her dishevelled appearance from hours of lying restless in bed.

"I'm female Jareth, curiosity like this could keep me awake for days." She teased.

"Well you're still not getting any answers from me so you might as well go back into the warmth again." Jareth stated good-naturedly, looking up at the dark sky that had begun to snow.

For a few seconds Sarah was tempted, but a quick look at Jareth convinced her to stay. It was almost pitch black out here, but the vague outline of the King that she could see told her something weighed on his mind. With another sigh she pulled one of her chairs up to the wall, wrapped her dressing gown more tightly around her and sat down, tucking her legs up beneath her.

"I'm wide awake, I may as well be of use. What's on your mind?"

With a small smile Jareth pulled one of his own chairs up, then used a crystal to remove the section of wall between them and replace it with a fire. With a smile of delight Sarah leaned towards the very welcome warmth, happier still that she could now see Jareth's face, and indicated that he should begin.

"When the Labyrinth first relayed its wishes to bring back some old runners to help restore and renew it, I welcomed the idea. As time went on, I began to see further possibilities. The Labyrinth is the outcast of the Underground. The goblins are too rowdy and undisciplined for the cultured Fae, my subjects too prone to play rather than work and their manners too unrefined for them to fit in anywhere else. The Labyrinth is home to any who ask and will respect its laws, this has led to many exiles from other countries moving here, a fact that sets us aside even further from the more respectable Kingdoms. Until now this has suited the previous Goblin Kings' purposes, but I grew up in one of the more renowned Kingdoms and the remoteness of this place from the world I knew is sometimes less than desirable."

This fact shocked Sarah as she realised just how little she knew of Jareth's history. She'd taken it for granted that he'd grown up here and cursed herself silently for such a basic mistake. This was not the time for her to pry however, Jareth clearly had something on his mind so she let him talk.

"When I saw how well some of you ladies adapted to the formal dinners, I realised you would fit well in the more refined Kingdoms and I began to hope that you would work as ambassadors for the Labyrinth, bringing it closer to the other lands of the Underground."

To Sarah's mind this was a great idea. She had noticed the Labyrinth's isolation and it had worried her. The idea of a ball had delighted her as it would mean contact with the rest of the Underground, so it seemed her and Jareth's minds were of a similar view. Almost.

"It seems like such a good idea." She said as Jareth fell silent. "And yet you don't look pleased."

"As more time passes I begin to see a distinct split in the group, between those that would help the Kingdom integrate better into the Underground and those that would not."

"I still don't understand the problem." Sarah put in as Jareth's speech lapsed again.

"The problem is," Jareth continued with a sigh. "the ones that would do the Labyrinth the most good elsewhere are the ones doing the best work here. The ones that have absolutely no use as ambassadors are the ones whose work here is already failing."

Sarah knew without him saying who he was referring to. Already Jenny and Miranda's work was deteriorating. They spent less and less time working, more enjoying the perks of the Labyrinth and living in a castle with royalty. They were too rude to give a good impression of the Labyrinth to other Kingdoms and yet their use here was waning.

"I don't know how to advise you." Sarah said after a while.

Jareth's laugh surprised her, but there was still a melancholy to his eyes as he thought over the problem.

"And that is why you are so good as an advisor, you don't pretend to know everything Sarah."

Jareth smiled at Sarah kindly, proud of the woman she had become.

"Well, it's late, and this problem isn't going to be solved tonight. Go to bed Sarah, I'll need you to help out with some of the preparations tomorrow, it'll be good practice for organising the ball."

Sarah groaned slightly at his words, not entirely sure she was going to be able to plan this ball successfully, before wishing him goodnight and retreating to the blessed warmth of her bed. Her mind was still filled with the problem at hand, and curiosity over the visit which Jareth had skilfully avoided talking about, but the warmth of the bed and the lateness of the hour soon won over and she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

All the girls woke late the night morning, dragging themselves to breakfast just before it finished. The dining hall was alive with excitement as they continued their speculations as to who the visitors could be, greatly anticipating the arrival of company. Sarah was whisked away by Jareth as soon as she had finished eating, and although she was kept busy most of the day, her duties were mainly supervisory. Jareth had his own matters to deal with but he didn't trust the goblins to cook the correct meals or clean out the guest rooms properly. Sarah watched over the goblins to make sure their tasks were done in a sensible manner, breaking up a food fight that occurred just after lunch and supervising the clean up to make sure it didn't break out again. She approved the menu for the evening meal and breakfast and lunch the next day, as well as going over the schedule for the visit.

She had hoped her duties would give her a clue as to who was coming, but it was mostly generic things. The only knowledge she gained was that it was a single noble person visiting with a few servants by the class of the rooms that were assigned to be cleaned. By peeking into the wardrobe of the first class suite she deduced that the visitor was male but other than that she was as clueless as the rest of the girls.

The visitor was due to arrive just before dinner. Sarah was to greet him with Jareth and show him to his suite before going to her own to dress for dinner and then return to the guest's suite to escort him to dining hall. As the time for the meeting approached, the excitement around the castle increased, as did Sarah's nerves.

Once she'd finished with her side of the preparations and double checked the goblins hadn't spoiled anything, she retired to her room to put on a formal day dress as her current clothes were ruined by the day's activities. She dressed too early and so had time to fidget and pace and generally get herself worked up before the summons came from Jareth to meet him at the gates to the castle. Surprisingly as soon as the summons came, Sarah's nerves ceased and a calm descended over her. She knew her duties and was determined to perform them well.

Without hurrying, Sarah made her way to the castle entrance to find Jareth stood in the open doors. He too was wearing his more formal clothes. He wore his ever present leggings and boots, but they were black and somehow smarter than his everyday wear. His shirt showed none of his chest and had minimal lace but his jacket had more of his usual 'flair' about it: floor length black leather, waist length around the front, large, elaborate collar and cuffs, multiple gold and silver buckles on the front. It was pure Goblin King design, yet gave him a more elegant, regal look than he usually had. Silently Sarah took her place by his side just in time to see an elaborate carriage come around the corner of the castle. Immediately her heart began to race with anticipation but outwardly she showed no sign of it.

The carriage reminded Sarah of an enclosed British horse drawn carriage. Indeed it was pulled by a team of four glossy black horses of unnatural size. The carriage itself was made of such dark wood that it looked almost black in the fading light of day. It was decorated with minimal gold ornamentation, but it clearly signified wealth. The wheels were the traditional two large at the back, two small at the front with the same dark wooden spokes and thin gold piping. Two gold lanterns adorned the front of the carriage, already lit for the dark winter days and a driver in expensive livery sat at the front of the box, while two footmen in similar attire stood on the footboard at the rear of the carriage. Sarah was speechless just seeing the carriage, never mind its occupant who remained hidden behind black velvet curtains.

As the carriage stopped one of the footmen jumped down and opened the door. Sarah felt her breath catch as a face appeared in the doorway before a man stepped out. His dress and bearing denoted nobility just as Sarah had suspected. His clothes were much more traditional than Jareth's, although there were similarities between the two. The visitor wore light grey breeches for a start, far too tight for modesty, which Sarah was used to by now. He wore a ruffled white shirt and a dark blue velvet overcoat, buttoned at the front at the waist that brought to mind early 19th century British dress and Sarah could guess that such Aboveground fashions had been adopted in the Underground over time.

The clothes did not hold Sarah's attention for long though. The man had the same fair skin as Jareth, no doubt a Fae trait, and the same blonde hair, although the stranger's hair was straight and pulled back into a sleek pony tail. His features were elegant but not the traditional eleven features that Sarah had imagined, more angular, although he was no less beautiful for it. Sarah found herself staring at him in awe, but she recovered as soon as Jareth took a step forward to greet his guest.

"Niko, it's good to see you again." Jareth said, shaking the guests hand before foregoing decorum and hugging him.

"And you too." The visitor said warmly, hugging the King back.

"May I introduce you to Lady Sarah?" Jareth said, indicating Sarah. "Sarah, this is King Niko, my brother."

Shock thundered through Sarah but she kept her face schooled and pleasant as she gave the visitor, the King, a curtsey. Niko smiled at Sarah before giving her a slight bow and pronouncing his pleasure on meeting her.

"May I show you to your suite?" Sarah asked, mindful of her duties even as her mind tried to assimilate this new knowledge of Jareth's family and mentally berating him for not giving her prior warning.

Niko nodded his assent and followed Sarah through the castle, giving Jareth a conspiratorial smile unseen by Sarah as he went. Once Sarah had shown him to his room she left for her own to change into a more suitable gown for dinner, delighted to find only one dress in her wardrobe as she was far too distracted to have made the decision by herself. The dress was simple but very elegant. The neckline was off the shoulder but with an added halter-neck giving it a more modern feel. It was made from red satin and fitted to her torso and hips before draping gracefully to the floor. Although the wardrobe tended to provide more traditional dresses, obviously today Jareth felt she would better suit a more modern look, and Sarah had no doubt it was Jareth's choice of dress. She dressed quickly, put her hair up in a more formal style and applied minimal make up as was appropriate to the evening meal.

Not long after she'd finished getting dressed, Sarah received a crystal that told her King Niko was ready and so she made her way to his suite to take him to dinner. She was stunned again by his appearance when he opened his door to her knock. The more traditional shirt and overcoat were gone, replaced by clothes that resembled Jareth's wardrobe more closely. Niko caught her looking at his attire and grinned at her.

"In my own Kingdom, the more traditional clothes are appropriate. Whilst here, I can let loose my less formal side."

"It's like playing dress up as a child." Sarah stated jovially before really taking time to think of what she was saying and groaning internally.

Niko only laughed in response though.

"You're exactly right Lady Sarah."

Sarah grimaced slightly at the Lady part, she hadn't gotten used to it yet.

"Would it be entirely inappropriate to ask you to just call me Sarah, Your Majesty?" She asked, wishing to remove some of the formality but not wanting to be rude.

"Not at all, if you'll please call me Niko." He replied, pleasantly.

Sarah couldn't help but smile back, he had a way about him that put her instantly at ease.

"In private, I'd be honoured." Sarah said. "In a more formal setting…"

"Protocol must be adhered to." Niko finished for her. "Shall we?" He continued, offering her his arm.

Sarah took it happily and led him to the dining room, anticipating the other girls' reactions when they met him. She wasn't disappointed. When Jareth introduced his brother more than one mouth fell open in shock, only Hannah remained calm enough to keep her visage straight. The girls were too disciplined after months of training to begin whispering now, but Sarah could see the curiosity eating at them. Gracefully she took her usual seat next to Jareth, more pleased than she should have been as Niko held her chair out for her before taking the seat next to her. Underground protocol demanded table settings be male-female-male-female when it was possible. As Sarah was standing in as host in the event of Jareth not having a wife, she got to sit at his right as usual, and the guest of honour was then seated next to her. Amber was on Niko's other side and Hannah was across from Sarah, the rest of the girls sat in their usual formation, with Miranda and Jenny at the far end of the table. A quick glance down there showed Miranda was furious, just as she'd expected, but Jareth had set the places and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Thankfully the evening held enough distractions to delay any unpleasantness just then.

First off, there were the goblins. When the door to the kitchen opened and the first goblin came out, Sarah had to refrain from wincing. Up until now, the visit had gone perfectly, all manners and protocol, but the goblins were an unruly bunch and Sarah dreaded their usually entertaining antics would ruin the setting. So it was with no small surprise that she saw the goblins walk out wearing tuxedos. Even Sarah's strong composure failed her at this and her mouth dropped slightly in shock. The rest of the girls let out some swiftly stifled giggles before attempting to school their faces. The surprises weren't finished there though. The goblins walked with their usual fast paced gait, but they didn't spill a thing. There was no rowdiness, no shouting, no singing, no pranks, they acted like perfect waiters. Sarah glanced at Jareth in suspicion to find him grinning back at her.

"And all it took was please." He whispered to her conspiratorially, throwing her words of a few days ago back at her.

Sarah couldn't help but laugh quietly at the realisation that all it took to keep the goblins organised and quiet for a time was simple politeness. She could see Niko looking confused between them at Jareth's comment, even more confused at the behaviour of the goblins, clearly he'd been to a meal here before.

"So Jareth, things certainly have changed here. I would never have thought you'd manage to control the goblins like this, but here you prove me wrong." He said, once the soup had been served and they'd commenced eating.

"I'm afraid I can't take any credit for that." Jareth answered, smiling. "A small wager with Sarah showed me that being polite can get the best results. Earlier today I asked the goblins to please act like civilised waiters and you can see the effect it's had."

"Well Sarah, it looks like I shall have to pass my compliments on to you, this is truly a commendable achievement."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Sarah answered, shocked to find herself blushing from his words but truly pleased to hear them.

"Sarah has made a tremendous difference both inside and outside the castle." Jareth continued. "All the girls have made some tremendous changes to the Labyrinth."

"Then you must show me some of your work." Niko said, turning back to Sarah. "If you have the time, of course."

"Of course Your Majesty, it would be my pleasure."

And she meant it. She looked forward to spending more time with this pleasant stranger, and she was always eager to show off the improvements to the Labyrinth, although she found herself wondering just how much of her was leaning towards the first reason and not the second. Especially as she found it took more than a few seconds for her to tear her eyes away and go back to her soup.

At that moment a crash sounded down at the far end of the table and Miranda began yelling at a goblin who had knocked over her glass of wine as he'd gone to fill it up and spilled a bit of it on her dress. She rose to her feet in anger, yelling at the top of her voice, immediately upsetting the mood of the entire dinner party. As her voice rose in volume and her words became less and less lady like, the goblin stood there, cowering, not daring to even run away. The fear in the goblins eyes went straight to Sarah's heart, but it was not her place to do anything. This was the King's dinner party and the goblin was his subject, yet doing nothing tore at Sarah's heart.

Jareth tried civilly to calm Miranda down, not understanding how she could get so worked up over such a little thing. A quick flick of his wrist had removed the stain from her dress, but her anger went much deeper than this one incident. Since the day Miranda had arrived, she had harboured a dangerous desire for the Goblin King. She wanted his power, wanted to be queen, wanted the handsome man that he was. She'd made no progress with him over the months but would have been content until Sarah came along. Where Miranda failed, Sarah succeeded. Sarah's friendship with the King was proof that it was possible for the King to get close to someone, showing that she herself was unworthy of him. The resentment had grown, fed by Sarah and Jareth's growing companionship and Sarah's repeated triumphs in their work. Now, seeing how well Sarah got on instantly with Niko, another royal male that Miranda would quite easily have set her eye on, was just another slap in the face.

Months of rage came pouring out and a few civil words from Jareth, regardless of their underlying threat, was not enough. That he would chastise her for reacting to the ruin of her dress by a lowly goblin only goaded her on more. Fortified by the support of his King, the goblin gained the courage to take a step backwards, a step that only infuriated Miranda further. As Sarah watched with horror, Miranda raised her arm, clearly intending to strike the goblin. Instantly Sarah was on her feet, as was Jareth. She could watch a goblin be shouted at, though it hurt her greatly, but she would not stand by and watch Miranda physically hurt one. Her anger over Miranda's treatment of Gree still lingered in her veins, ignited further by this new show of brutality, driving her into action.

"Don't you dare hit him Miranda!"

Sarah's voice thundered across the room, stopping Miranda's arm dead as she turned to face the woman she classed as her foe. Even Jareth turned to watch Sarah, curious as to how she would handle this situation.

"And who are you to stop me?" Miranda shouted back. "Queen of nothing, with your airs and graces. Sat at Jareth's side you think you're his queen! You order the goblins about and now you order me about!"

What happened next seemed to Sarah to go in slow motion, although it only took seconds. Incensed by Sarah's involvement, Miranda turned her full anger on her, and her violence too. Reaching down she picked up the nearest thing to hand, unaware of what she was doing, only intending to relieve some of her anger on Sarah. It wasn't until the steak knife had left her hand that she realised she was throwing a very sharp knife at the girl. Miranda's mouth dropped open in horror at the same time as Hillevi screamed. There was no time for any true reaction, the knife had left her hand before Jareth had even seen her pick it up and it flew so fast that he could not pull his thoughts together quick enough to use magic. Sarah reacted on pure instinct, throwing her hands up in front of her to ward off the danger, but the knife never hit home.

Three full seconds passed before Sarah dared open her eyes, full of wonder at the lack of searing pain and the sudden silence that had enveloped the room. Lowering her hands she saw the knife in the air before her, point towards her, a foot away from her face. It was not floating, more it seemed to be stuck in the air, much as it would had it been thrown at a tree or wall. Sarah stared in disbelief, as did everyone else, only to have her shock break the spell she had unwittingly cast to save her from danger. The knife became unstuck in her shield and dropped to the table with a clatter, breaking the silence of the room, followed by the audible exhalation of relief from the girls who'd watched the terrifying spectacle.

Now the immediate danger to Sarah was over, Miranda sensed a new danger towards herself and her eyes shot to Jareth, just as his, full of fury, turned to her. No words were spoken, Miranda's plea was silent, obvious in the fear in her eyes, but Jareth was passed caring. This was no longer petty rivalry, no longer jealous anger. Miranda had threatened one of his subjects and put Sarah's life in danger. For those crimes he had no tolerance.

Raising his hand, a crystal appeared there, and, without a word, he hurled it at the woman at the far end of the table. As soon as it hit her she disappeared, along with her place at the table and, unknown to everyone present but Jareth, all her belongings within the Labyrinth. Shocked silence reigned for a few more seconds before Jenny gathered her wits enough to speak.

"Where is she?" She asked, her voice timid, afraid now that the woman she hid behind was gone.

"She's gone." Was Jareth's succinct answer.

"Where?"

"Back Aboveground. I will not have anyone here who endangers the life of any of my subjects."

His words and tone brooked any argument that the case would have been different had Miranda attempted to hurt anyone else. Sarah may be the King's friend, but he would have done the same for any of his subjects, he loved them all.

"All her memories of her time here have been erased and she has been returned to the meaningless existence she lived before I brought her here. I offer you the same fate Jenny. You followed in her footsteps, your attitude matched hers though you had not the courage to exert it as she did, and your work was failing. Either you stay here, learn to behave like a proper Lady and bring your work back up to the level I expect, or I shall send you back too."

Jenny's immediate thought was to insist she stay, to promise whatever it was he demanded and do it with all her heart, but one look around the table made her breath catch in her throat. She had no friends here. Hannah's face was full of pity, but she would not back her up, Sarah's was still masked in shock, Hillevi's held tears and the rest, only anger. Should she stay, it would be a very lonely existence. All the joy of the Labyrinth had suddenly been sucked out of her. Without Miranda to hide behind, she would never be happy here. With a resigned sob, she bowed her head and a crystal soon sent her back to the life she had been so happy to leave only a few months before.

For a while, silence followed, each girl trying to come to terms with what had happened; the threat to Sarah and the subsequent removal of two of their party. Sarah and Jareth both took their seats again silently and as Jareth raised his spoon, the rest of the party returned to eating. Sarah ate mechanically, still in shock over the attack and how she'd managed to avoid being hurt. None of the other girls had used magic before, but Sarah had just assumed it was because they didn't have a crystal like she did. Now, however, the crystal was back in her room, she shouldn't have been able to shield herself against the knife.

A tug on her skirt brought her mind back to the room and she looked down to see the goblin that Miranda had yelled at looking up at her.

"Thanks Lady Sarah." The goblin said in a quiet voice. "Miranda weren't nice and I's glad she's gone, but I's sorry she tried t' hurt ya."

Sarah smiled kindly at the little goblin and he grinned back before running back to the kitchen. The rest of the meal continued quietly, the girls subdued by the loss of two of their own. They knew Miranda deserved it, and they were glad both her and Jenny were now gone, but the attack had been a shock and the new group dynamic would take a while to get used to. After dessert had been cleared away, Jareth suggested the girls get an early night, which was welcomed by them as they were no doubt eager to begin the gossip, and Sarah wasn't the least surprised at being asked to stay behind. She was surprised though, and a little disappointed, when Niko stood up to leave, excusing himself as tired after his journey, but all knew he was excusing himself to be polite and nothing more.

"Well that was an interesting display." Jareth said once everyone else had left the room.

"I had no idea I could do that." Sarah put in hastily, worried he would think she'd been hiding things from him. "I don't even know _how_ I did that."

"No doubt." Jareth said before pausing to think. "Most people who live here are not given magic. It's not unheard of, but it's extremely rare."

The words he spoke were true but he was holding back more than he was saying. Neither of them were ready for those words to be spoken yet.

"So what happens now?" Sarah asked, worried as to what this might mean.

"We monitor it, let me know if you discover any other way you can use your magic. I've seen you use the crystal I gave you to watch other parts of the Labyrinth, now you can conjure a shield on your own. If any other powers manifest, you must inform me at once."

His words only made Sarah all the more nervous. She had fit into this life well, to suddenly be singled out so significantly was not comforting. Jareth saw the downcast expression on her face and laughed quietly.

"Do not fear Sarah, the Labyrinth gives power only to those it sees fit. It's an honour, but it's always best to know as much as you can about these things."

Sarah's anxiety lessened, but it was not eased completely. Seeing the remaining nerves, Jareth swiftly changed the subject, complimenting her on the day's work and her courtly manners and going over the schedule for the next day. An early night was called all around and Sarah was surprised to find her room empty when she got back. She'd expected Amber and Hillevi to be waiting up for her, but clearly they'd anticipated her need to be alone. Sarah thought she would lie awake for hours, but her lack of sleep the previous night and the shock of her attack that day overwhelmed her and she was asleep before she had time to begin dwelling on it.

**A/N So here's a long chapter to make up for the delay last week. I hope you've liked it. Please let me know what you think, I'm grateful for all reviews.**


	15. Chapter 15

Sarah awoke the next day bright and early, but the previous night's attack left a shadow on her mood. It seemed unreal, yet an unease followed her as she threw on some warm clothes and her winter coat and went out in the dim pre-dawn light for a morning walk in her garden. The air was crisp and the ground still covered in snow as Sarah hurried to her bench, happy when she appeared in her own private garden, enjoying the natural warmth of the unnatural sun as she took off some of her multiple layers of clothing and let the Labyrinth work its magic. Sat there in the peace and solitude, surrounded by beauty, the remnants of yesterdays worries faded away into insignificance. She was home, she was healthy, she was happy. At that moment, nothing else mattered.

As the time passed, Sarah found herself becoming more and more relaxed, her mind soothed by the Labyrinth's tranquillity, yet all too soon, she knew she had to leave it. Breakfast had begun and she knew her duties for the day. Piling the layers back on, Sarah willed herself back to the main garden and dashed back into the castle, hurrying to her room and changing into a warm day dress before heading to breakfast. As she walked down the corridors towards the dining room, she found her heart-rate speeding up slightly in anticipation, although she refused to acknowledge the reason for it.

Once she reached the dining room, Sarah quickly scanned it, disappointed to find neither King there, but happy to see that all the other girls were also dressed more formally than they would normally. This was good practice for proper visits and they were all taking full advantage of their formal wardrobe. All talking stopped as Sarah entered, but began again as soon as the girls realised it wasn't Jareth or Niko. Taking a seat next to Amber, Sarah was immediately mobbed by the group.

"Where's he from?"

"How many more siblings does Jareth have?"

"How old is he?"

"Is he single?"

Sarah laughed at the barrage of questions, especially the last one. Somewhere along the way she'd become the unofficial leader of the group and they expected her to know more than they did. Usually they weren't far wrong, but Jareth had carefully kept the conversation away from his brother last night so Sarah knew nothing. The girls were less than pleased with this revelation, but it didn't stop gossip. Luckily, the two Kings entered not long after that so all chance of talking ceased and the women became the ladies they had trained to be. Without a word, Amber and Hillevi moved down a place on the table, allowing Niko to take his seat next to Sarah and once he was seated, Sarah offered to pour him some orange juice.

Breakfast continued as it usually would, although the atmosphere was more subdued. The reduced group was more evident than ever, yet no girl could bring herself to feel sorry for that fact. As breakfast came to a close, the girls began to drift off to their usual work, but Niko repeated his request to Sarah to be shown her work and she could not refuse him. Not that she had any inclination to do so. As Niko requested they begin out in the Labyrinth, Sarah suggested some warmer attire and the foreign King escorted her back to her room to pick up her fur coat.

The fur had shocked Sarah when it had first appeared in her wardrobe, but she'd soon been assured it was fake, although extremely sumptuous and warm, and with her conscience soothed it became her favourite outdoor coat. They detoured on the way out to Niko's room to pick him up a similar coat and then they were on their way.

The Goblin City had barely changed since Sarah and the others had arrived. Anything they built there inevitably got destroyed in the main battle of a run and so they'd given up on working on that part of the Labyrinth. The remains of Megan's task intrigued Niko and Sarah told the story of it with pride. When it came to the part about Sarah showing Jareth the spot she was interested in using a crystal, Niko's face showed more than a bit of interest. He knew a lot less than Jareth about the way this land worked, but he knew enough to know that Sarah's gift of magic made her special and wondered why his brother hadn't mentioned it if he'd known about it for a while.

Sarah led Niko to the beginning of the new river and gave him a tour along its length, explaining all of the new challenges and tests, detouring out further into the Labyrinth in order to show as many of the improvements and additions as possible. With each new task Niko became more and more impressed by the woman he saw before him. He could see her influence in almost every change he saw. Knowing from what Jareth had already told him how much involvement she had in the work of the group, his respect for her rose steadily throughout the morning.

When they reached the main gate Sarah swung back and they returned to the castle via a different route, allowing Niko to see more of the vast modifications that had occurred since the arrival of these Aboveground females. It occurred to Niko that more changes had been made in the few months since they had arrived than had been done by any previous King in a decade. This thought led to one that the girls would be able to take a break or even leave soon and certain plans began to form in his mind. Sarah saw the mysterious smile form on his face, but misinterpreted it as pleasure at the improvements and carried on with her tour.

When they reached the castle they were cold and hungry but found their walk had lasted longer than they'd thought and lunch was already over. A few instructions to Gree and a short wait soon produced the food that had been saved for them and the two sat down to a lovely meal with Gree sat munching shoe laces by Sarah's foot as always.

"So Jareth tells me you have a brother." Niko said, hitting on the only real fact he knew about Sarah in order to start a conversation.

"I do." Sarah said, smiling at her memories. "Toby. He's almost eleven now. Such a happy, carefree child, always full of energy and ready with a smile or a hug."

"Do you miss him?"

"So much." Sarah admitted, the smile slipping from her face.

"When did you last see him?" Niko asked, concerned.

"Over a month ago**.** Now I'm a full resident I can visit whenever I want but with the ball to plan, no doubt I'm going to be busy here. Hopefully I'll be able to visit him in the next few days before things get hectic."

"Ball?" Niko asked, one eyebrow raised in the familiar curious expression that Sarah often saw on Jareth's face.

"Yes, Jareth's asked me to plan it, although I have no idea what I'm doing. He said he wanted some kind of celebration now we're all official residents." Sarah said, grimacing slightly at the task ahead.

"And he wanted you all to be presented I'm guessing." Niko said, laughing at his brothers tactics.

"How did you know that?" Sarah asked suspiciously.

"Jareth has never been short of female attention, his usual way of dealing with it is to simply to palm the girl off on someone else. In his letters and our meetings, he expressed worries over a certain female, who shall remain nameless, showing him too much attention, no doubt this was his way of removing her."

"There have to be easier ways." Sarah stated, melodramatically, thinking how difficult this ball was going to be to plan.

"Obviously. All he had to do was wait for said nameless female to attack another of his subjects and problem solved."

Sarah was initially shocked by his clear reference to last night's unpleasantness, but when she saw the mischievous smile on his face, she couldn't help but laugh at his words.

"Well Jareth's never been one for peaceful resolutions." Sarah added

"You speak like you've know him years."

"It doesn't take long to figure him out once you get to know him." Sarah replied, laughing.

She found herself more than relaxed in Niko's presence, the same way she was in Jareth's. Their easy banter led her to ask a few questions she hadn't had the courage to ask on their walk through the Labyrinth.

"But since you brought up the subject of years, just how old is Jareth?"

"And if it weren't for that glint in your eye I'd almost believe that was spur of the moment curiosity."

"Here's me thinking I had you fooled." Sarah said, feigning disappointment and laughing along with her sovereign's brother. "Curiosity about Jareth is something we all suffer from. Until you arrived we didn't even know he had a brother, we know nothing of his family or his life beyond the Labyrinth. I found entire books on mine and the others girls histories in the library, but nothing about him."

"Well you told me about Toby so it's only fair I return the favour. Jareth is 103 years old."

Sarah's mouth dropped open in shock. He looked barely in his thirties, just as he had since she'd first met him years ago. She'd known he was a lot older than he looked, but to find out he was over a century old was astonishing. Niko chuckled at her expression and Sarah felt herself blush before realising she was acting like an idiot and composing herself again.

"He certainly ages well." She finally managed to say.

This time Niko laughed with her, delighted by how quickly she reigned in her emotions.

"Most Fae do. As long as we are happy in our lives, we continue, as the centuries creep by though, most tire of this life and long for the next. It seems to be as much the magic of the Underworld as Fae blood that elongates our existence. Children who are adopted here take on this trait, no doubt you and the other girls will live decades longer than you would have Aboveground, who knows, you may live as long as the Fae, only time will tell."

Although this shock hit her harder than that of Jareth's age, Sarah was prepared this time and kept her features schooled. Yet the announcement that she could live for centuries was stunning, and her mind kept running over the words, unable to see that far into the future. It wasn't an unpleasant thought though, this world held so many wonders she knew it would take that long to truly experience it and Niko's words sent a warmth down her spine that forced a smile onto her face.

"So do you have any other siblings?" Sarah asked, encouraged by his frank answer.

"No, it's just us two. Our parents faded away forty years ago and left the Kingdom to me."

"Faded away." Sarah mused. "I like it, it sounds less harsh than died. I'm sorry to hear that though, it must have been hard to lose them both."

"It's easier, in some ways, than losing people Aboveground. We got to say goodbye, we could prepare ourselves and we knew they were happy, ready to go and they were together." He paused for a few seconds, sorrow masking his face before continuing. "We still miss them though."

Sarah felt an overwhelming urge to comfort him at that point. But this wasn't Jareth, she could not get away with hugging him. Instead she used one of Jareth's own tactics and changed the subject.

"So you're the oldest then?" She asked.

"Not at all." Niko asked, smiling again. "Jareth's the three figure sibling, I'm only 86."

"Well you're looking good for it." Sarah said, surprised to find herself flirting, but Niko only smiled in response. "Why did you inherit your parents lands then and not Jareth?"

"You are far too perceptive for you own good. I got my lands because Jareth had already been given the Labyrinth and don't you be asking me any more questions about that because that's all I'm going to tell you."

"In that case, may I give you a tour of the castle?" Sarah said, more curious than ever, but knowing when she was beaten.

"That sounds delightful." Niko said, standing now that they'd finished eating. "Lead on."

Taking the King's proffered arm, Sarah led him out of the dining room and towards the Library. She wasn't surprised to find Hannah and Kerry there, Amber and Hillevi had taken over supervision of the building of the latest bridge in Sarah's absence and Elissa was out working on clearing out some space in the junk yard, it was just too big for the tasks it posed so Elissa was in charge of the goblins removing some of it. Hannah and Kerry were currently using the maps to find a suitable spot for one of their tasks but it was proving difficult so they had remained in the library after the morning brainstorm session.

"Your majesty, this is Hannah and Kerry." Sarah introduced the girls. "Hannah, Kerry, this is King Niko."

"It's a pleasure to properly meet you." Niko added.

"And you too Your Majesty." Hannah said. "I hope you're enjoying your visit so far."

"That I am, I have to say I'm very impressed with all your work, I've never seen the Labyrinth this vibrant."

All three girls smiled at the praise, more proud than ever of the changes they'd made. Sarah felt pride in the other women as well, it was only now, in a formal setting, that she was realising just how much they'd all learnt in their time here and she began to look forward to the ball, eager to show the rest of the Underground how lovely the Labyrinth could truly be.

Hannah and Kerry gave Niko a brief overview of what they were working on and Sarah told him about the other on-going projects before continuing the tour of the castle. As dinner time approached she left him at his door and went to prepare for dinner, picking him up on the way back as before so they entered the dining room together, a fact that did not escape the notice of the other women. The evening meal was much more pleasant than the previous days had been. The goblins were livelier whilst still behaving themselves. Miranda had been a bit of a tyrant to them and they were enjoying their freedom whilst still obeying orders from their King.

Once dinner finished the women excused themselves, leaving Sarah with Jareth as usual, and this time Niko stayed.

"I'll warn you now," Jareth began when all the other women had left. "These discussions are usually a lot less formal than the evening meal, and Sarah has a habit of preaching."

"I do not preach." Sarah shot back, pretending to be offended at his words.

"Well then you lecture emphatically." He joked.

"That's not much better. And I only do so because you have so much to learn." Sarah teased back, glad to drop the formal tone for a moment.

"And just what have I left to learn?" Jareth asked, some of his haughty nature beginning to peek through.

"Manners for one." Sarah pointed out. "You haven't yet asked our guest if he would like a drink."

"Niko, drink?" Jareth said, turning to his brother and deliberately losing all politeness but smiling all the while.

Niko laughed at their exchange and requested some ale, sinking easily into the casual manner of their after dinner talks.

"Gree, ale." Jareth told the little goblin who was hiding underneath Sarah's chair.

"Jareth." Sarah warned him lightly.

"Gree, ale, please."

"That's better."

With a little skip, Gree hurried out of the room and came rushing back in only a few moments later carrying two foaming tankards of goblin brewed ale which Sarah knew that only those with Fae or Goblin constitutions could drink without being unconscious after the first pint. Gree disappeared again and soon came back with a glass of Aboveground wine for Sarah and then disappeared under her chair before she had time to thank him.

"A toast," Niko proposed, raising his glass. "To a successful visit and many more to come."

The others raised their glasses in salute before drinking.

"So Sarah," Jareth began, "how long until this ball then?"

"I haven't even started planning it yet, as well you know. I don't even know where it can be held."

"A ballroom would be traditional." Jareth teased.

"Less of that or I won't plan it at all. Does the castle even have a ballroom?"

"I remember seeing one on the plans years ago, but I've never been in there."

"There are plans of the castle?" Sarah asked with a groan. "Is there a reason you never showed them to us or do you just like keeping this place a secret."

"Secrets are always more fun than honesty Sarah." Jareth replied with a grin.

Niko laughed at the banter before joining in.

"The plans may not be much help with all the alterations Jareth's made, and I'd be very wary of going in a room that he hasn't been in for almost eighty one years."

Sarah groaned again before taking a long gulp of wine.

"This could take a while."

"Well you've got Atalia." Jareth said consolingly.

"You gave her Atalia?" Niko spluttered over his drink as he laughed.

"She's half gnome." Jareth defended.

"She's half goblin." Niko countered.

"She has experience in these matters."

"Experience; yes, success; no."

By this point, Jareth was more than a little annoyed that his offer of help was being put down so and Niko found his annoyance more than a little amusing.

"Boys, behave." Sarah warned. "As King's you should know better than petty squabbling."

"She really does preach doesn't she?" Niko asked with a grin.

Sarah couldn't help but smile at his teasing, and the smile she received back had more warmth than before. Jareth didn't notice either but continued with his praise of Atalia, only stopping when he saw Gree hanging off one of the previous King's coat of arms that was mounted on the wall, trying to remove the decorative rope around its edge. A quick shout caused Gree to fall, landing on an abandoned dessert tray causing cake to fly in every direction. Jareth frowned, Niko laughed and Sarah grimaced at the thought of having to work with a goblin to arrange such an important event. As much as she loved them, goblins really never helped with things like this.

The evening continued pleasantly until Sarah deemed it time to retire, knowing she had to begin searching for a fit room for the ball tomorrow. As she bid the men goodnight she enquired as to when Niko was leaving and was disappointed to find he would be leaving before breakfast, but she expressed her pleasure on meeting him and wished him a safe journey before heading to the solitude of her own room.

Jareth and Niko were left alone and for a few moments silence reigned before Niko broke it.

"So you've built up a good rapport with Sarah I notice."

"Sarah was reluctant to come here, yet she's the only one who dares stand up to me and she's the most productive subject I have. She's easy to speak to and although she knows her place, she's not nervous around her King." Jareth answered innocently.

"She's certainly easy to befriend." Niko agreed. "And her work is astounding, all the work being done by those women is. Are you still looking to make some of them ambassadors?" He asked, a little less innocently.

"I am." Jareth answered succinctly, but his visage was troubled.

"Go on." Niko encouraged.

"Sarah's the most productive subject I have, and the most versatile. Any task I give her she excels at. As an ambassador she would be perfect... but I'm loathe to lose her imagination, the Labyrinth needs it."

"And her company?" Niko prompted.

"That too. She's one of the few people I would class as a friend, I have no intention of losing that so quickly."

"So there's nothing more than friendship?"

Jareth did not detect the note in his voice that suggested more than mere curiosity, his thoughts were so wrapped up in his problems.

"Nothing at all."

"And the magic?"

"That I've yet to figure out."

"But it worries you."

"More than you can imagine."

There was silence after that, both lost in their very different thoughts. When it became clear that Jareth didn't intend on continuing the discussion any time soon, Niko excused himself and went to bed in preparation of an early start the next day.

When Sarah returned to her room she found Amber and Hillevi waiting for her and she realised she should have expected it. For them to leave her alone last night was good of them; two nights in a row would have been a miracle; there's only so much curiosity they could take.

The barrage of questions began as soon as she had shut the door, but Sarah had answers to very few of them. Bar the bits of information she'd managed to glean from Niko, she knew little more than the rest of them. Of course that didn't stop gossip. Amber and Hillevi wanted to know every little thing that had happened and they'd no doubt relate it all to the others the next day. Sarah didn't loathe the task of reliving the day in words though, it had been a pleasant day and she'd enjoyed herself, to talk about it was completely natural. She refused to acknowledge what had made it so pleasant, but laying in bed alone later that night, she feared it may have consequences.


	16. Chapter 16

Awakening early the next morning as always, Sarah dressed quickly, eager to get to her garden to let it soothe away the melancholy mood she had risen in. Hurrying through the cold corridors she almost ran headlong into Niko as she reached the castle doors.

"Your majesty, forgive me, I didn't expect anyone else to be up at this time." She apologised to a King who looked less than upset at the near collision.

"Me neither, even Jareth doesn't get up at these unearthly hours to see me off. Yet here you are."

Sarah laughed at his surprise.

"I always was an early riser, I spend an hour or two alone in a private garden each morning, it helps centre me and prepare me for whatever tasks the day may bring."

"In that case don't let me keep you." Niko replied, reluctantly. "I have to be leaving anyway, it's a long way back to my own lands."

"And where might they be?" Sarah asked, not wishing to say goodbye.

"Cencia, a land of forests and lakes."

"It sounds very pleasant."

"You must visit some time."

"I'd be delighted." Sarah said with a smile. "Once this dreaded ball is over." She added laughing. "You will be coming to the ball won't you?"

"I await my invite with great anticipation." Niko said, smiling back. "Unfortunately I really must leave now."

Both smiles faltered slightly at the words, but Sarah broke the silence heartily.

"Then I wish you a pleasant trip," Sarah hesitated before remembering their earlier conversation and adding. "Niko."

"And I wish you a pleasant walk in your garden, Sarah."

Without another word he turned and walked to his carriage. Sarah stood in the doorway to watch him leave before hurrying to her garden out of the cold. She found the sun warmer than ever and strolled around her garden, enjoying the heat, running over her memories of the last couple of days. She didn't find her garden as comforting as usual though, instead finding herself eager to begin planning the ball which was sure to vex her. With a sigh she pulled her heavy coat back on and head to the dining room for a hearty breakfast.

Early as it was she was the only one there, but Jareth appeared not long after, happy to see her enthusiastic about her task. Once they'd both eaten he summoned Atalia and introduced her to Sarah. Sarah was glad to find that Atalia was a little less boisterous than most goblins. She had the same leathery skin but it was smoother and she had more hair than was common. She walked as opposed to ran and immediately put a little bit of ease into Sarah's anxious heart with her polite greeting of 'good morning Lady Sarah'. Jareth told them he'd laid out the old castle plans in his study which they were free to use as it would provide less interruptions than the library, and so the girl and the Halfling were off to work before any of the other women had even arrived to breakfast.

They poured over the plans for hours that morning, trying to match them to what they knew of the current reincarnation of the castle and vowing that once this ball was done, new plans were going to be made as these were severely out of date. Eventually they realised that the ballroom must still exist and they figured out roughly where it was located. Finding it proved harder than expected though. Entire corridors had disappeared, rooms had been moved, new wings built. Each King remodelled what he wanted for his reign and Jareth had been no different. Sarah lost count of how many times they lost themselves in the labyrinthine corridors. Jareth had removed the spell that only allowed them to see the route they wished to take once they'd all been made full residents. Up until now it hadn't been a problem as all the women had memorised the routes they used, but Sarah had never been in this wing of the castle before, Atalia had been there rarely and never in this particular part. From the looks of it no one had been in here in years and Sarah silently cursed Jareth for changing the layout so much only to never use it.

Eventually though, they came upon a door that they were pretty certain was the ballroom. The corridors around it looked almost the same as on the plans and there was only one door in the very long hall so it seemed a very likely candidate. Holding her breath and praying they'd got it right Sarah opened the door and peered into the gloom inside. No lights came which vexed Sarah more than ever. Most of the castle was magically charmed to create light should anyone enter a room or corridor, but being so seldom used, this part was in complete darkness and they'd been reduced to using lanterns to get around. Clearly the room they entered was extremely large, which was a good sign, but the lantern barely illuminated a few feet in front of them so it was impossible to see if they'd found the right place.

With a sigh of exasperation, Sarah reached into her pocket, pulled out the crystal she always kept on her since Jareth had asked her to keep track of her magical abilities, and raised it in front of her. Not really knowing what she was doing Sarah willed the crystal to create light, and to the shock of both her and Atalia, it did so. The light was feeble at first, but with increased concentration, it brightened and spread throughout the whole room. Smiling at her achievement Sarah moved her eyes off the crystal and took a look around her. In that instant the light went out, her concentration destroyed as shock and fear thundered through her.

"Jareth!" Sarah yelled at the top of her lungs as she stormed into the dining room to find everyone else at lunch.

It had taken her another hour to find her way back from the room that had indeed turned out to be the ballroom, but her discovery had left her less than pleased. The walk back had only increased her anger and by the time she'd found her way to the dining room she was fuming. For his part, Jareth wasn't entirely shocked to see her angry, a room that had been left untouched for eighty one years in the Labyrinth was bound to hold a few surprises, not all the of them pleasant. Yet he hadn't expected her to be quite so mad and found himself more than a little curious as to what she'd found.

"Yes Lady Sarah?" He asked, his face a mask of innocence, knowing how it would irritate her more.

"Don't you Lady Sarah me." She yelled back. "After finally figuring out where the hell your blasted ballroom is..."

"Ah so you found the ballroom, very good." He cut her off. "Is it suitable?"

"Suitable?"

The blood rose in Sarah's face at the King's irritatingly pleasant smile.

"Oh it's suitable all right." Sarah continued, resorting to sarcasm. "Large, elegant, it'll need cleaning a bit and you need to put some magic down there for lighting, but other than that it's perfect. Well, except for one small thing."

Her words had lowered in volume as she spoke, but Jareth knew this was more dangerous than her shouting.

"And what is that?" He asked amicably.

"The family of cave trolls you've allowed to live in there for the past eighty one years you dolt!"

For a few seconds confusion reigned in Jareth's mind before a dim memory of the trolls petition to him as the new King came to the fore.

"What possessed you to allow that Jareth?" Sarah asked, forgetting all protocol in her weariness over his insane decisions.

"I was young and sick of court events. I had no intention of ever using the ballroom, and up until you women arrived I've never given it a second thought. And they did make such a lovely petition."

By this time he was grinning widely and struggling to hold back the laughter that threatened to pour out at any moment. Truly he had entirely forgotten that he'd allowed the trolls to live there. That entire wing had rarely been used by the past few Kings, the magic had gone out of it leaving it dark and cold which the cave trolls loved, it had seemed a good idea at the time. Seeing Sarah's exasperation at his lack of concern only made the incident funnier in his mind. The rest of the girls, though initially fearing Sarah's anger, were now firmly in Jareth's state of mind, other than Hannah whose motherly attitude disagreed with Jareth's teasing of Sarah. Seeing the King's grin, the girls couldn't help but smile themselves and more than a few tittering giggles broke through.

At the sight of the other girls amusement and Jareth's nonchalance, the anger drained from Sarah, as it always did during their little arguments, leaving her tired and weary of his ridiculous attitude.

"Lovely petition or not, we need that room Jareth. SANS trolls."

"Well ask them to leave." Jareth suggested in an off-hand manner.

"They've lived there for eighty one years, just exactly where are they supposed to go?"

"Anywhere they want."

"If you tell them that you'll find them camped out in your throne room."

"In that case I leave it in your very capable hands to find them a suitable new home."

"They might still end up in your throne room." Sarah warned.

"I have every faith in your excellent capabilities." Jareth said, casually rising from the table and leaving her staring in disbelief after him.

Throwing her hands in the air in despair, Sarah took her usual place at the table and took a malicious bite out of her bread roll, using up the last of her lingering anger.

"You know, you shouldn't let him get to you." Amber said, attempting to be conciliatory but not managing to keep from smiling.

"There are seven of them Amber." Sarah said, misery lacing her voice. "Seven trolls, of which four are adults and even the smallest is ten foot tall and almost as wide. Where am I going to put them?"

"There are no caves in the Labyrinth?" Hannah asked.

"None at all. The trolls are exiles from another land, they couldn't find anywhere suitable to live when they came here, hence petitioning to Jareth and ending up in the ballroom."

"What about the tunnels under the Labyrinth?" Kerry asked.

"Too small." Sarah answered.

"There's the junk-yard." Elissa suggested. "It really is enormous even after we've cleared part of it there'll still be more than enough room."

"Thanks Lissi but the trolls hate sunlight."

"Well why not make some caves?" Hillevi asked. "The river comes out into a ravine, it shouldn't be too hard to get the goblins to dig a proper cave system into the cliffs there."

At the words, Sarah's eyes shone enthusiastically.

"Hillevi, you're a star! That's perfect. I know you and Amber like working together but if you could organise the caves whilst she finishes the bridge I'd be eternally grateful!"

Hillevi smiled at the praise and promised she'd get on it as soon as she'd finished eating. Sarah thanked the rest of the girls and felt her enthusiasm of the morning revive now she realised she could count on the group for help. Once lunch was over Sarah went in search of Atalia, before searching out the ballroom and going to speak with the cave trolls. Her enthusiasm ebbed at this prospect, the trolls had been pleasant enough for creatures with only one syllable vocabularies and extremely large fists, but she was still wary. Sarah had learned to not take appearances for granted but the head troll had been suspicious of Sarah's visit and she didn't relish telling him they would have to move him and his family from their home of the past eighty one years.

"What mean move?" The huge creature asked when she'd told him her plan.

"Move, live somewhere else." She tried again to explain.

"Where?"

"In the new caves."

"What caves?"

"The caves we're going to build especially for you to move into."

"What mean move?"

Sarah groaned in frustration, clearly she wasn't going to be able to explain this any time soon. Thankfully she received a summons from Jareth at that point as a new runner had appeared in the Labyrinth, and the rest of the day was taken up watching the challenge. Sarah found it hard to concentrate though. Her mind kept drifting away from what she was watching, thinking over ideas for the ball, decorations, themes, dresses for the other women. More than once Jareth had to snap his fingers in front of her face to recall her attention to whatever task the runner was facing. Soon enough though her mind drifted again. She was excited now, looking forward to such a big event despite knowing how difficult it was going to be to plan. It would be a good opportunity to meet others from the various Underground lands, to learn more about their neighbours and show how good the Labyrinth truly was.

Jareth could see how distracted Sarah was and correctly guessed the cause. He was thrilled that the prospect of planning the ball was so desirable to her now and looked forward to seeing what she came up with. He longed to show this new, more respectable side of the Labyrinth to those who had shunned his lands for so long. His heart wasn't easy though. With each new task Sarah took on, she excelled and grew all the more useful and important to the Goblin King, but her increasing magical abilities were a constant thorn in his mind, never allowing him to rest. All his research had come to nothing and he refused to take his last path until he was forced to. Until Sarah's magic became dangerous, he'd sit back and hope for the best.


	17. Chapter 17

"Jareth, I need a list of all the nobles of the neighbouring Kingdoms." Sarah said, walking into Jareth's office with clipboard in hand two days later.

"I thought _you _were supposed to be doing the guest list?" Was his distracted reply.

"The only person I've met from outside this Kingdom is your brother, so unless you want a ball with him as the only guest, you've got to give me a list of people to choose from."

"Can't Atalia help?" Jareth asked, not wanting to get involved unless he absolutely had to.

"No, she's busy." Sarah replied, stony faced. "She's currently trying _again_ to explain to the trolls why they have to move out of the ballroom."

Jareth tried to suppress a smile but in the end he couldn't help it.

"Honestly Jareth can't you take anything seriously?" Sarah asked, trying to prevent Jareth's infectious smile from affecting her and failing badly.

"Not unless I have to." Was his cheerful reply.

Shaking her head Sarah took a seat across from him, appreciating any opportunity for a rest.

"So how's the inventory going?" Jareth asked, not really wanting the reply.

"Badly, and you knew that before I began. Serious Jareth have you _ever_ had guests since you took over ruling the Labyrinth?" She said, despairingly. "Other than your brother and us girls." She continued before he tried to use them as an example.

"Not many people want to visit the Labyrinth." Was his reply instead.

"With the state of these rooms, I can see why." Sarah muttered. "We're going to have to clean out every single one of them for now, until I come up with a proper guest list."

"Why until?" Jareth asked, worried this ball was going to turn into a much bigger event than he'd anticipated.

"This castle clearly wasn't built to accommodate many guests. Most of the so called guest rooms I've looked into don't even have beds in them. The ones that are fully equipped will have to be cleaned, hopefully by then you'll have given me a list of nobles and I'll have come up with a guest list and we'll see how many more rooms we need."

With an exaggerated grimace Jareth created a crystal and then turned it into a rather large scroll, followed by five more.

"Those are up-to-date lists of every noble and ruler in the six other Kingdom's of the Underground, along with their titles, their species and their immediate family trees."

"See, you _can_ be helpful when you want to be." Sarah said, gleefully picking up the scrolls and ticking off one of the items on her ever growing list.

"Glad I could help, now leave." Jareth said, smiling and going back to his work.

Sarah laughed but left all the same, eager to get on with studying the scrolls and starting on the guest list. Planning this ball was turning out to be a bigger task than she'd ever imagined. Every time she managed to tick off one item that was done, she added three more to the list. She did no work on the Labyrinth anymore, barely saw the other girls except at breakfast and dinner as she had a tendency to work through lunch. She did keep her morning solitude in the garden though, yet worked late into the night in her room sketching out ideas and writing down what she needed to get done the next day. She was enjoying her time immensely though. She was busier than ever and although she wasn't working on the Labyrinth itself, the ball gave her a whole new opportunity to use her creative skills, as well as her organisational ones.

Each evening at dinner Sarah would lay out her ideas for the rest of the group and the girls would give their opinions and suggestions. Sarah didn't join in the morning brainstorming sessions anymore, but the evening meal almost turned into one and every one of women was filled with excitement over the prospect of the ball.

Sarah hurried to her room and once there, set the scrolls and her clipboard onto the desk that was already overflowing with papers and maps, lists of laws and rules of etiquette for the various Kingdoms of the Underground. A careless toss of one of the scrolls caused a mini avalanche of one of the piles of papers and with a groan of frustration, Sarah lifted her crystal out of her pocket and created another desk by the side of the one she already had. Another focused thought and the scrolls had been transferred to the new desk whilst the papers on the old had been tidied. With a grin at her magical accomplishments, Sarah took a seat at the new desk and opened the first scroll, eager to begin her guest list.

By the time dinner rolled around Sarah had just finished going through the first scroll and had a first draft of her guest list for that one Kingdom. Her mind was exhausted with trying to remember whether a duke was more important than an earl, which laws of the host lands overrode those of the guests lands when it came to seating arrangements and how much of the immediate family of a Lord should be invited amongst a million other little questions. Her feeling of accomplishment at getting through a whole scroll put a large smile on her face, but her stomach called her to dinner instead of allowing her to move onto the next scroll as she so longed to do.

Dinner passed pleasantly as Sarah discussed those she'd put on the provisional guest list and Jareth nodded his approval, more than a little surprised at how well she'd done. There were some on the list that he wasn't sure about, but she hadn't missed out anyone that she should have put down, so for a provisional list he had no complaints about it.

When she returned to her room after dinner, Sarah began on the next scroll and continued on it the next day, straight after breakfast. She barely left her room that day other than to eat, so focused was she on the task at hand. Knowing how busy she was, she was left alone by all but Gree who sat by her feet as usual, always there to listen silently as she worked through her problems on who to invite aloud.

The next day began similarly, but things began to go wrong after lunch as she started on the fourth scroll. This one was for Cencia, King Niko's lands, and the ranking system there was exceedingly complicated. Sarah spent most of her time referencing the books she had on Cencia's laws, trying to figure out who was more important than who. She'd been working on the same scroll for four hours and had barely got a quarter of the way through it before she threw her pen across the room in frustration and yelled out Niko's name, wishing he was here to help her through this mess.

"Well I had hoped you'd call me, but not with such anger in your voice."

Sarah yelped in surprise and shot to her feet, spinning around to face the King who had suddenly appeared in her bedroom.

"I'm sorry to alarm you." He said, smiling. "But the call sounded urgent."

"The call?" Sarah asked confused.

"Anyone with magic who puts enough thought or emotion into a name has the power to call that person. Unintentional as it may have been, I believe the anger in your voice was enough to do just that. I thought you may need my help."

"That I really do." Sarah said, indicating the mess on the new desk that was now worse than the one on the old.

"And just what does the disarray of your desk have to do with me?" Niko asked good-heartedly.

"I'm trying to come up with a guest list for your Kingdom..." Sarah began.

"And getting lost in a maze of proprieties." Niko finished for her, grinning even further as he saw the source of her confusion.

"You don't happen to have a key to the levels of seniority on you do you?" Sarah asked, glad to see him, but still despairing over her task.

"I don't." Niko answered. "What I do have is a free afternoon and eighty six years of experience with my lands convoluted list of ranks." He finished, creating a chair next to Sarah's and indicating she should sit first.

With a smile and a profusion of thanks Sarah took her seat and Niko took his beside her. Sitting so close was more than a little distracting, for both of them, but with Niko at her side Sarah's work was made infinitely easier. He was a font of knowledge and made lots of helpful suggestions, making light work of the rest of the scroll. They finished almost an hour before dinner and spent the remaining time looking over the lists Sarah had already created, Niko giving her as much advice as he could, impressed by the work she'd already done.

As the time for dinner arrived Sarah invited Niko to join them, assuring him that his guest room was still usable and promising to pick him up once she'd changed herself. She dressed quickly once he'd left, then hurried to his room to find him already changed and ready to escort her to dinner.

It's safe to say that Sarah was the only one in the castle that knew Niko was there from the shocked silence that met them as they entered the dining room. Even Jareth lifted an eyebrow in surprise at his appearance before setting another place at the table for the sudden guest.

"To what do we owe this honour so soon after your departure brother?" Jareth asked as soon as everyone was seated.

"You left Lady Sarah here alone to deal with the intricate honour system of my lands." Was Niko's answer. "I felt it only gentlemanly to assist her in untangling it."

"And how did you know she was working on the guest list for your lands?" Jareth asked, more intrigued than ever.

"In a mere moment of frustration Sarah called out my name and I felt obliged to answer."

Jareth chuckled at his brothers answer but didn't say any more, whilst the rest of group attempted to begin a conversation to mask the silence that was thick with curiosity.

"How long is the journey from Cencia to the Labyrinth Your Majesty?" Amber asked Niko with a mischievous smile on her face that made Sarah want to kick her beneath the table.

"By carriage it's over half a day. By magic, it's instantaneous." Niko answered, his smile mirroring Ambers.

"Why come by carriage at all?" Elissa asked with innocent curiosity.

"For the propriety of the thing." Niko answered kindly. "My last visit was an official visit to enquire as to my brothers health, see the improvements to his kingdom and meet his lovely wards. Today's visit was a spur of the moment decision to help Sarah out in a spot of trouble"

"And a regular knight in shining armour you are." Sarah said, gratefully. "Without your help I'd have been stuck on that same scroll into the middle of next week."

"It was my pleasure." Niko said with a small bow of his head which made Sarah blush, Jareth and Hannah frown slightly and Amber's smile widen.

"How long are you planning to stay?" Jareth asked.

"Only until the end of dinner, I still have work to catch up on."

"Forgive me for taking up your valuable time this afternoon." Sarah put in hastily.

"Not at all, it was a relief to get away and an enjoyable afternoon should never be regretted."

The rest of the dinner continued pleasantly, with a few knowing glances thrown about from some of the more insightful diners. All too soon it was time for Niko to leave. He gave hearty farewells to the whole party and offered Sarah his assistance in the future should she need it before travelling by magic to his own castle. Once Jareth had excused himself, the other girls did their best to convince Sarah to not spend her evening working but to join them in the 'rouge room' for some relaxation. After bringing up every excuse she could think of and having them all shot down, Sarah eventually agreed and was enjoying herself in no time. She'd been working harder than ever and an evening off was definitely appreciated. Of course, relaxation wasn't the only reason behind the evening together with the girls.

"So, you and Niko seem to be getting on well." Amber said mischievously before they'd even got ten minutes into the first film.

"He's an absolute life saver. I'd never have managed to get through Cencia's scroll without his help." Sarah answered, trying her hardest not to blush as she grasped Amber's meaning, and failing badly.

"You're no good at intrigue Sarah." Amber said laughing. "So give it up and dish the dirty already. What's going on with you two?"

"He's a wonderful gentleman..." Sarah began.

"Wonderful gentleman." Amber imitated mockingly. "Come on Sarah, less of the decorum, more gossip."

"But he's also a King." Sarah finished, the smile slipping slightly, but bravely held in place.

"Ah." Amber said, succinctly, realising the problem.

"This isn't Aboveground Sarah." Hannah said, kindly. "Those rules don't apply. Down here King's can marry who they want."

This brought a small chuckle from Sarah.

"Hannah, I appreciate the sentiment but I barely know him, and yes I am beginning to have feelings for him," this last she directed at Amber who was grinning wildly again, eager for gossip. "But he's still a King _and_ he's Jareth's brother and right now I'm too busy to be even thinking of romance with anyone."

"I'll bet Niko's not too busy to be thinking of romance, if the puppy dog eyes he was throwing at you at dinner today are anything to go by."

This remark caused a pillow to fly at Amber good-naturedly and after a small pillow war, the girls soon got back to the serious business of watching chick flicks. The gossip was out in the open so Amber was satisfied, but, despite how early it was, Hannah was worried about things getting more serious. What she'd said was correct, King's could marry whoever they wanted in the Underground, but things were a lot more complicated that than, and should Niko marry a woman from Aboveground, it could cause problems.


	18. Chapter 18

Over the next week, whilst Sarah finished the rest of the scrolls and then went over her lists in an attempt to narrow them down to a definite guest list, Niko often popped in to help her out and give her any advice he could from his vast knowledge of Underground protocol. Most times he stayed for dinner and often remained behind with Sarah and Jareth afterwards for a pleasant talk. Jareth, though distracted, wasn't nearly so blind as he had been. He'd noticed the closeness between Niko and Sarah and now he watched that closeness turn into something resembling a romance. Sat alone in his room late at night, he tried to decide on his feelings about the two, but his mind was conflicted. Both his brother and Sarah were dear to him and to see them together, to see them happy, would make him more than happy himself. Yet there were complications that none of them could avoid. Sarah's magic for one. How useful she was to the Labyrinth for another.

His musings didn't keep him up for long though. For his part there was nothing he could do but watch and wait. As for the magic... Well things weren't dire enough to go down that last route just yet.

The plans for the ball progressed rapidly once the guest list was completed and the trolls were moved into the new caves that Hillevi had done a brilliant job of organising hastily. All the guest rooms were cleaned out, all the rooms that could be converted into guest rooms were converted and a whole new wing was created purely for guests as Sarah pointed out to Jareth just how ill-equipped the castle was for accommodating the ball.

The ballroom was cleaned and re-fitted. All work on the Labyrinth stopped as nearly every goblin was commandeered to help with the clean up and re-vamping. The other girls began to help Sarah with supervising the goblins as well as still coming up with new ideas for the Labyrinth and helping her out with ways to entertain the guests for the duration of their stay. The ball was to be the main event but each meal was an affair in itself with the multiple courses that had to be planned, which in turn led to a whole new kitchen being created and chefs being hired from other lands to help out. Each meal needed a different theme and different decorations. The women were busy designing whole new wardrobes and taking advice from the tailor Jareth had hired for their outfits for the ball. Sarah was more than thankful she had demanded to be allowed a say in her own dress as the original dresses Jareth suggested were hideous. She suspected, quite rightly, that he was being his usual roguish self and coming up with the most spectacularly fluffy, lacy, feathery, pink dresses he could to wind her up, but she kept her sense of humour and sent him similarly horrifying suits until they both agreed to design their own outfits.

Jareth asked the Labyrinth to extend the magic of Sarah's garden over the rest of the castle and it's grounds to give the gardeners time to repair the damage winter had already done and allow the guests places for pleasant strolls when they arrived. The invites were created and sent out and Sarah was soon bogged under with replies and spent most of her time allotting and rearranging rooms in order with who was coming and who was not. And it was fair to say those who accepted greatly outweighed those who declined. The Underground was abuzz with news and gossip of the ball. The Labyrinth hadn't held a full formal ball in over a millennia, very few still lived who could remember the last one. The small meals and events that had been held there had been very exclusive and even those had ceased a few centuries earlier. Everyone was curious as to what was going to happen. News of the Aboveground women had leaked out over the past months and although they knew the girls had something to do with regenerating the Labyrinth, no-one had any concrete facts about what was happening there. To be invited to go there, attend the ball and see the situation first hand was a great honour and all but the most important engagements were put off in favour of the ball.

The weeks passed quickly and each day brought more and more work. Atalia became invaluable to Sarah, her goblin tendencies were buried deep and her gnome traits of organisation and determination came in more than useful. As part goblin though she had an affinity with the mischievous little creatures and could often be counted on to calm them down and get them quickly back on task if an amusing accident got them riled up and boisterous, which was annoyingly frequent.

Eventually though, Sarah's list of things to do began to grow significantly shorter, all the rooms were ready, all the plans confirmed and started if not yet finished. The ballroom was complete, the menus finalised and all the replies to the invites had been received. Nevertheless the last few days before the guests arrived were more hectic than ever. Sarah was often seen running around the castle dealing with one problem or another that had arrived. Jareth had taken to hiding in his own personal rooms to avoid her roping him into helping out with the preparations. The rest of the women were helping in every way from making decorations to organising the enormous food deliveries that were coming in daily in preparation for the feasts. The end was nigh but the last steps were the steepest and it was only by wrangling every creature in the Labyrinth into her service and working as long as she could stay on her feet that Sarah managed to get everything prepared.

As Sarah collapsed in her chair on the final night, a month after the idea of the ball had first come around, she was exhausted but thoroughly looking forward to the next day. Almost every resident of the Labyrinth, although tired and weary, had trouble sleeping that night, both anxiety and anticipation laying heavily on their minds. For better or worse, disaster or triumph, the next couple of days were going to firmly decide the fate of the Labyrinth's reputation, and all were praying things would go well.

**A/N So a short chapter for now but a much much longer one coming soon, I promise! Thank you once again for reading and thanks for the brilliant feedback I'm getting, it's all very helpful!**


	19. Chapter 19

Sarah awoke later than usual the next day, so tired was she after the month's preparations, and hurried out to her garden. She had considered skipping her morning ritual, eager to get on with the day, but she knew she needed her solitude more than ever. Sitting alone in her garden with her eyes closed, listening to the gentle sounds of nature around her, Sarah felt her worries slip easily from her mind, and her heart fill with confidence.

She stayed there until the smell of cooking reached her nose and then hurried back to the castle for breakfast, not surprised to see everyone already gathered there, tucking into a hearty meal in preparation for a busy day. In order to keep the calm that the Labyrinth had instilled in her that morning, Sarah kept the conversation light, happy to see the other girls doing the same. Only Jareth seemed ill at ease that morning.

"Jareth, this ball has been planned right down to the last detail, you shouldn't be so worried." Sarah tried to reassure him.

Jareth's reply was to kick a goblin out from under his feet, only to see it caught by his brother who suddenly appeared across the room.

"Well now there's a nice greeting, having a goblin hurled at you." He said with his usual smile.

"Niko, what are you doing here?" Sarah asked, trying to be stern but unable to keep back a smile. "You're not supposed to arrived until after noon, like the rest of the guests."

"I got bored." He said, taking a seat and helping himself to a piece of bacon. "It really is a long journey."

"You mean to say you've left your carriage travelling across by road and popped yourself in here by magic?" Amber said, laughing.

"They'll never know, I'll "pop" back in before it gets here and they'll never know the difference."

"You'll pop yourself back in now, thank you very much. We've still got a lot to do this morning and I won't have you getting in the way." Sarah said, managing to keep the smile off her face as she reprimanded him this time.

"Now how can you say I'm in the way when I've helped plan this ball?" Niko asked, pretending to be hurt.

"Less of that." Was Sarah's answer. "You have helped with the guest list and I'm eternally grateful, but right now you need to go and behave like a normal guest."

Niko put on his mock sad face at his telling off which had half the girls pitying him, half the girls giggling at him and Jareth smirking at him. Sarah remained resolute, handing him another piece of bacon before 'shooing' him back to his carriage. Once he was gone Jareth congratulated Sarah on standing up to the 'interfering tyrant' to which Sarah replied that if he didn't stop mocking her she'd send him to check that all the guest rooms were in order. At the prospect of such a horrifying task, Jareth mimed zipping up his lips before picking up his breakfast and literally disappearing from the room.

After breakfast Sarah gave each of the women a task and between them they double checked that all the preparations were in place. A large lunch gave them the sustenance they would need for the long and busy afternoon and once the meal was finished they all retired to their rooms to change into their formal afternoon dresses to greet their guests in. It wasn't long before all the girls began to converge in Sarah's room, awaiting the first guest. They didn't have long to wait, no sooner had they all began speculating over who would be the first to arrive, than a crystal arrived summoning Sarah and Hannah to the castle gates. It took a lot of effort for them not to run down the corridors, but by the time they reached the door they both looked the perfect picture of decorum.

Moments later a knock sounded on the gate and two waiting goblins rushed to open it. Lady Annaliisa stood outside with her butler and serving maid. Lady Annaliisa was a Fae from Niko's lands with beautiful porcelain skin and vivid violet eyes. Her dress was simple yet elegant, reminding Sarah of the medieval gowns she had worn to dinner when she'd first arrived in the Labyrinth, yet this dress clearly showed the wearer was of high rank.

With a respectful nod of the head, Jareth welcomed Lady Annaliisa to the Labyrinth and then introduced her to Sarah, the hostess. Sarah gave the Fae a slight curtsey; her rank in the Labyrinth combined with her position as hostess put her on the same level as Lady Annaliisa, but a curtsey was the polite way of greeting and the Fae returned it with a warm smile.

"Welcome to the Labyrinth Lady Annaliisa." Sarah began. "I'm most pleased you were able to come. May I introduce Hannah who will show you to your room."

Hannah's curtsey was deeper as she lacked the honour of hostess, but the Fae's greeting was as warm as that to Sarah and after expressing her thanks at the invitation, she allowed Hannah to lead her and her servants to their rooms.

Jareth barely had time give Sarah a reassuring smile that she had done well when there came another knock on the door. From then on, they never stopped. The rest of the girls were brought in to lead guests to their rooms, along with some of the more courteous residents of the Labyrinth as the guests were arriving thick and fast. When Niko arrived he was all manners and protocol, never once alluding to his impromptu visit that morning.

Eventually, all the guests had arrived and had been shown to their rooms, allowing the girls to go off and change into their dinner dresses. Sarah arrived to the ballroom first, standing behind her usual seat by Jareth who entered moments later and took his place behind his own seat at the head of the table. One by one the guests and the other girls began drifting in and the dresses and jewellery on display was almost overwhelming. Every guest had purchased a new outfit for the event, wanting to represent their own lands as best they could, yet every single one of them was impressed by what they saw when they entered the ball room.

Despite the unnatural spring that now lay around the castle and its grounds, Sarah had chosen winter as the theme for the ball and the dinner that preceded it. The main table that spanned the entire length of the hall and the two shorter tables on either side of it were laid with pure white cotton table cloths edged in delicate silver embroidery that depicted intricate snowflakes. The candelabra that dotted the tables were made of silver with snow white candles in them and the bases were covered with a light dusting of snow that Jareth's magic prevented from melting in the pleasantly warm room. The silverware sparkled and the dishes were made of an elegant porcelain edged with silver designs similar to the table cloths. The goblets into which wine flowed freely were silver with the same dusting of snow as the candelabra and each name card was ivory card in the shape of an enlarged snowflake with the person's name in silver writing. The magic of the room called everyone straight to their own chair, but the guests thought the name cards a pleasant touch.

The rest of the room was decorated in the same theme, the floor, although flat and smooth, was enchanted to look as if covered in snow and yet there were real snow banks in the corners and against the walls. The walls themselves depicted a winter forest in the midst of a pleasant snowstorm and the roof held the appearance of white clouds thick with snow. All in all the guests found themselves immersed in a winter wonderland that filled them with awe at its beauty and made Jareth beam with pride over Sarah's work.

It took a long time for the few hundred guests to arrive and seat themselves and those already seated indulged themselves in the wine poured by goblins dressed in tuxedos and on their best behaviour. Most of the guests were wary of the goblins at first, having either heard tales or seen first hand the mischief that usually followed them about. Soon enough though, they found themselves at ease and often amused by the miniature waiters and their unusual ways of delivering wine to the table. Walking on stilts attached to their legs, standing on other goblin's heads, all the usual tricks of serving were employed but none of the accidents or tomfoolery which usually accompanied them. The goblins had seen the Labyrinth come back to life again under Sarah and the other women's touch. They'd gained respect and politeness from their King and although they still revelled in acting up and causing trouble, they no longer rebelled when it was necessary for them to show their more restrained natures. Of course the fact that Sarah had promised them their own special kind of party once the ball was over was a major motivating factor for their behaviour now.

The guests knew none of this however and simply marvelled at the changes that had come over the castle and it's residents. They saw well behaved goblins, clean rooms, spectacularly decorated dinners and were more than impressed by all they saw. What had started out as mere curiosity was now full on admiration for the Labyrinth.

Once all the guests were seated, Jareth rose and asked for silence, which was quick to reign.

"My honoured guests," The proud King began. "May I once again have the pleasure of welcoming you all to my lands. Relations between the Labyrinth and the rest of the Underground have been strained for years beyond remembering and it is my fond hope that tonight be the first step in strengthening the bonds between our lands. I raise my glass now in honour of you all, drink to your health and our new and renewed friendships, and bid the feast to begin."

As he raised the goblet to his mouth and took a sip, almost all the guests did the same, only a few of the more sceptical refusing to drink to a friendship they still distrusted. As Jareth took his seat, the goblins began to bring out the first course. Nearly every goblin in the Labyrinth had been employed to help prepare and serve the food in order to make the process as quick as possible. The chefs that had been brought in from other lands had done an excellent job in cooking the food, yet it was the amusing but careful way in which the food was served that really gained the guests approval. Being able to laugh at a goblin serving soup whilst being pushed around by another goblin on a cart and yet not spilling a single drop added to the delight of the event and helped secure new bonds between the Labyrinth and its guests. The goblins served the food regarding all necessary protocol, but with a warmth and impracticality that showed just how unique the Labyrinth truly was.

Although Sarah sat next to Jareth at the head of the table, the rest of the girls had been spread out between the three tables in order to converse with the guests and gain feedback from them that they could then relate to Jareth and Sarah. Naturally, as the King's brother, and observing male-female-male-female seating arrangements, Niko was once again sat next to Sarah and was thoroughly enjoying himself. He discretely apologised to Sarah for his behaviour at breakfast and his exaggerated downcast face had Sarah in some less than decorous giggles.

At the same end of the table as Jareth were the rulers of the other Kingdom's of the Labyrinth. Beside Niko was Queen Kebi of Anoch and her husband King Haru. Next were the rulers of Tartatia, King Ilya and Queen Larissa, always observing the male-female seating arrangement of course. Opposite Sarah was Queen Tyra of Nisi, then King Adriaan of Goras, both of whom ruled their lands alone. Followed by Prince Alastor of Dásos and his fiancé Chloe. The laws of Dásos stated a ruler could not be crowned King or Queen until their 35th year, nor could they marry until crowned. As Prince Alastor was only 29 he still had a few years to wait, although he ruled in nearly every way as a King, only requiring council decisions on the most important of problems.

"Well Jareth," King Haru began when they'd all settled down to eat the first course. "Things certainly have changed around here."

"That they have." Jareth replied smiling.

"How long is it since you were last here?" Sarah asked politely.

"Well it'll be over thirty years I'd say. What do you think Kebi?" He asked, turning to his wife then continuing before she had chance to answer him. "Yes, about thirty years, nice game of poker between us Kings. Nothing like this though, oh no."

Sarah had to struggle to hold back her laughter at the King's blustering but good natured attitude. He wasn't the slenderest of men, but his shape attested more to a love of ale than to a love of food. From studying the scrolls of his lands, Sarah knew Haru was over five centuries old, though to her human standards, he looked to be in his forties. His wife looked to be a similar age and was in fact a couple of decades younger, but a lot slimmer, although her love of Aboveground chocolate had left her with a few extra pounds. Nevertheless, she was a handsome woman and clearly had infinite patience with her vociferous husband.

"The Kings of the Underground used to have regular poker tournaments here." Queen Kebi explained to Sarah. "I can't say I was too upset when Jareth stopped hosting them. He had a tendency to forget that not all of the rulers are bachelors and coming home drunk to the point where you can barely stand after three days of almost non-stop poker is not appropriate for some."

Her voice was stern but her face held a smile, Sarah suspected that just because Jareth no longer held poker tournaments, it didn't mean the other King's had stopped altogether.

"I must say though," Queen Larissa put in. "For all us wives are glad that Jareth no longer hosts poker nights, I'm extremely impressed by this dinner. The decorations are beautiful and the food is exquisite."

Sarah blushed through her thanks, unused to being praised so, even more so when Jareth made sure that everyone knew that all praise belonged to Sarah.

"You've done some splendid work here Lady Sarah." King Ilya said.

"Wait until you see what Sarah and the other women have done to the Labyrinth." Niko put in.

"Sarah has in fact planned to show some of the improvements to those who wish it tomorrow morning." Jareth added.

"Do you still have those lovely gardens behind the castle?" King Adriaan asked quietly, although all heard him.

King Adriaan was old, and he looked it. At almost a millennia in age he was the eldest present at the ball and was afforded great respect because of it.

"Yes we do." Sarah answered kindly. "Our gardener Hoggle spends a lot of time working on them."

"Well now that's lovely to hear. They really were the prettiest gardens. Me and my Amelia used to go for long walks there during the previous King's rule."

"I was very sorry to hear about your wife fading." Sarah said with feeling.

"It was her time my child." King Adriaan replied with a sad smile. "She'd seen all of this world that she'd wanted to, experienced happy times and sad and although a smile was never far from her lips, she knew it was time for her to go on to the next stage. We were blessed with a son in our old age. He's old enough now to be crowned but needs a few more years of training before he's truly ready. Once that happens I'll follow after my wife and let my son continue the next chapter of our lands history."

The tale was a sad one but no one felt sorrow in their hearts. Soon the couple would be together again and that was always a cause for joy.

"Your Majesty," Sarah said, addressing King Adriaan on a sudden impulse. "Hoggle has created a special garden for me, I'd be honoured if you'd allow me to show you it tomorrow."

"That would be very kind Sarah, thank you."

This time it wasn't just Jareth smiling proudly on Sarah, Niko had similar feelings, although he had hoped to take a private walk with her in her garden himself.

By this time they had finished their soup and the goblins had cleared the bowls away and were bringing out the next course.

"I must say Jareth, you've done awfully well in getting these goblins to be so well behaved. Just how did you manage it?" Prince Alastor asked.

"Once again I must give all credit for that to Sarah. She showed me that a lot of politeness and a bit of bribery is a lot more effective than shouting at them and throwing them across the room." Jareth answered whilst laughing.

"Really Jareth, have you done anything since these women arrived here?" Niko asked with a cheeky grin for his brother.

With a flick of his wrist Jareth caused the goblin filling up Niko's wine goblet to falter and covered Niko's hand in red wine. Niko only laughed as he cleaned his hand up but Sarah glared at Jareth and a quick glance between him and the ruined table cloth had Jareth creating a crystal and removing the spill almost instantly. The result was more than a few mocking but friendly grins from the men around the table.

"I love the table decorations." Queen Tyra put in quietly, breaking the quiet. "Where did you come up with the idea?"

Queen Tyra was the youngest of the rulers present. On the islands of there Nisi was no age limit for ruling and so at a mere eighteen years of age she had been crowned Queen. Her parents were still alive and were her most trusted counsellors, but it was traditional to hand over the ruling of the county whilst still young there. Her parents were sat further down the table, along with her younger sister, indeed all the immediate families of the rulers were present. Although young, Tyra was a good ruler and she was determined to forge new and strong bonds between her lands and the Labyrinth.

"I was sat on my balcony trying to come up with ideas for themes, looked out over the snow covered Labyrinth, and realised how beautiful it looked." Sarah explained. "I'd wanted the decorations to be natural but elegant and what's more natural than the seasons. Actually scrap that, the seasons in this place make no sense, but Aboveground seasons are natural." She finished with a smile.

"Mock all you want but in a few weeks it'll be spring and I'm sure I won't hear you complaining then." Jareth teased back.

The guests around them smiled at the easy banter and from then on things progressed pleasantly and less formally, allowing Sarah to get to know the other rulers. Having already observed the rulers of Anoch during their earlier conversation, Sarah made small enquires to the rulers of Tartatia and studied them as they talked. Queen Larissa appeared to be in her late twenties, although she was in fact just over two hundred years old. The others had all relaxed by this point, but Larissa kept up a very formal address throughout the entire meal, making her seem impersonal yet not unfriendly. Her husband, King Ilya was an awful lot shorter than her, due to his half dwarven blood. Larissa's parents had frowned upon her choice of husband, but as Queen, there was nothing they could do to stop her, and love had won out in the end. Ilya was quieter than his wife, always feeling his Halfling status during events like these, but with a little prompting from Jareth, who was used to his initial bashfulness, he was soon drawn out into a conversation about the yearly autumn hunt in Tartatia to stock up on meat for the winter.

Sarah was soon informed that the seasons in Tartatia ran more like Aboveground and so it was nearing the end of summer there. Once Ilya had been drawn out of his shell he readily invited the other Kings to join the hunt and Larissa invited the Queens and Sarah to join her ceremonial riding party that opened the hunt. Sarah found herself overwhelmed by the honour but had to admit that she'd never ridden a horse in her life.

"Why Lady Sarah, that must be corrected at once!" Queen Larissa exclaimed, astonished.

In Tartatia, nobles learned to ride as soon as they were able to sit on a horse, to hear of someone unable to ride was a tragedy in her eyes.

"I shall personally lend you one of my own horses to assist you in learning." Larissa continued, proud as ever of her own stables.

"Now dear," King Ilya cut in. "You know that all your horses are thoroughbreds with the haughty temperaments that go with it and for a beginner they're entirely inappropriate."

Queen Larissa conceded this fact silently and thought over the problem at hand. Everyone knew Jareth kept no horses; the goblins had a habit of scaring them at every opportunity so even the tamest ended up turning on its master. Surprisingly it was Queen Tyra who came up with the solution.

"Lady Sarah, I myself only learned to ride a few years ago. I kept my training horse for sentimental reasons but you're more than welcome to borrow her, along with my riding tutor, until you are confident enough for one of Queen Larissa's magnificent horses."

She spoke quietly, yet with the confidence of royalty, a trait which endeared her instantly to everyone who met her. Sarah expressed her thanks although she feared she would not be able to learn to be a competent rider in time for the hunt, but she was thankful beyond words that she had been accepted so quickly. Not being royalty she had feared she would be met with resistance, but other than Queen Larissa's general aloof attitude, she had not received any bitterness.

Carrying on with her observations, Sarah turned to Prince Alastor. Prince Alastor looked his actual age, as did his fiancé, both of them being very young to be in the positions they were. Prince Alastor showed the arrogance of one given power so young and Chloe displayed pride for her position that was slightly unseemly, but they were forgiven for their lack of years. Sarah knew Prince Alastor had a personal advisor and was watched over by more than one member of his council and all who knew him had confidence that by the time he reached the age of true rulership, his more unbecoming traits would have been ironed out. A few times during the meal Alastor spoke over Sarah. Sarah took no offence but more than a few warning glances were sent Alastor's way by the other rulers and he acknowledged his mistakes even though he never lowered himself enough apologise. This fact had Niko bristling over the boys disrespect, but it was not his place to say anything and as head of the table Jareth refused to spoil the overall pleasant atmosphere by bringing the Prince's faults to light.

So, bar the few moments of unconscious rudeness, the meal was enjoyable and deemed a success by all there. Once the final course had been taken away, Jareth bade all the guests rise and with an elegant sweep of his arm, all three tables and the multitude of chairs disappeared. Around the edges of the room smaller circular tables appeared with chairs to allow people to sit and converse and a Fae mini orchestra, borrowed from Niko's lands, appeared at the far end of the room. A nod of the head indicated the musicians should begin playing and, without a word, Jareth held out his hand to Sarah and led her into the first dance. With a small bow, Niko held out his hand to Queen Tyra who shyly accepted and they too joined the dance, soon followed by the other royals and then more guests as the dance got into full swing. Kind Adriaan was the only royal who did not dance; it was times like this he missed his wife greatly and he refused to sully her memory by dancing with anyone else.

All the other Aboveground women found themselves courted by multiple Underground nobles, even down to little Elissa, although Sarah knew none of the men would dare tarnish her innocence and instead simply enjoyed the honour of dancing with a pretty young lady who was in the King's favour. No natural light penetrated the ballroom which had been built, for some incomprehensible reason, in the centre of the castle, but as dinner turned to dance, the light that infused the room turned from that of sunlight to that of moonlight.

The dancing continued long into the night, wine flowed freely, friendships were forged and renewed, romances bloomed and for one night, the Underground was united in the peace of the Labyrinth. Sarah passed from King to noble to King with an enviable fluidity, and it didn't escape her, or anyone else's notice, that she ended up in Niko's arms more often than any others. The other women found themselves courted and flattered until their feet tired and they longed for their beds. One and two at a time, the weary but elated guests retired to their rooms and as the clock struck four, the last couple bid Jareth goodnight, leaving him alone with Sarah, Niko and the Aboveground women who had acted as second in command to Sarah. Once the room was empty of all but them, the girls said their goodbyes and hurried off to their own rooms, too tired to even gossip but knowing that the night had been a complete success. Without words Niko kissed Sarah's hand with a look that said all she wished to hear and retired himself. Jareth's words of parting were brief but went straight to Sarah's heart. Her work on the ball had done more than any treaty or written alliance in the last millennia. He dubbed the ball a triumph and an enormous accomplishment before thanking her from the bottom of his heart and seeking his own rest.

Standing alone in the midst of a deserted midnight winter wonderland, Sarah felt her heart swell with happiness at what they'd managed to achieve that day, taking a moment to reflect on the night and thank whoever was listening for allowing things to go so well. She felt the magic of the Labyrinth flow through her at that point, it's calming energies focusing her on the day ahead and so she went to bed happy but with a heart full of anticipation of the joys still to come.

**A/N I wasn't going to update so soon but after all the love I got from the last chapter I thought I'd update early as a thank you with the extra long chapter I promised! Thank you as always for reading and extra thanks for all the reviews. I do try to reply to them all but some I can't reply to as they're not left from fanfiction accounts. Rest assured all reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	20. Chapter 20

Sarah was awoken the next day by Gree jumping up and down on her stomach in agitation. The sun had barely risen and she groaned in realisation of how little sleep she'd had but knew staying in bed was simply not an option, neither was she likely to have time to visit her garden alone.

"Gree, stop bouncing, it's far too early for that."

"Up." Was his only reply, but he did stop bouncing, scrambling down onto the bed beside her as Sarah dragged herself into a sitting position.

"I'm up, I'm up." Sarah said, whilst yawning and rubbing her eyes, thankful she'd taken the time to remove her make up before going to bed last night. "Gree, why am I up?"

"Queen Tyra up."

Sarah groaned again knowing what that meant.

"Why, why is she up, why would anyone be up at this ungodly hour?"

Although she grumbled, Sarah did pull herself out of bed whilst talking and began shuffling towards her bathroom.

"She sleep long time." Gree informed her, trying to be helpful.

"Just because she went to bed before everyone else does not give her the right to get up this early." Sarah said as she closed the door to the bathroom rather loudly.

By the time Sarah had showered, dried her hair and dressed, she was in a much happier mood and was eagerly anticipating a nice cooked breakfast. As she left her room the next two doors opened and Amber and Hillevi joined her, no doubt Jareth had sent goblins to wake them as well as soon as the first guest had arisen, although these two looked slightly worse for wear.

"Four hours sleep just isn't right Sarah. Next time, you give Queeny whats-her-face a bigger sleeping pill okay?" Amber grumbled.

Sarah laughed in response but the first thing she did when they reached the dinning room was pour all three of them a large cup of black coffee to help wake them all up. Jareth was already there and watched with amusement as Amber and Hillevi struggled to stay conscious. Moments later Queen Tyra entered and all three girls were on their best behaviour, forgetting their fatigue as Tyra led them into a conversation reminiscing about the previous night.

Very slowly the dining room began to fill up as more and more guests arrived for breakfast, and Sarah and the other girls, who arrived not long after Queen Tyra, flitted about, asking if there was anything they needed and finding out what everyone wished to do that day. Most of them were eager to view some of the changes to the Labyrinth and so the girls began taking groups out and giving them tours. Others wanted to explore the castle by themselves, some wanted to stroll in the gardens and quite a few were still in bed. Jareth mingled like the good host he was, not actually doing any work but having a pleasant word with all he met.

Niko arrived a couple of hours later, along with King Adriaan and once they'd both eaten, Sarah repeated her offer of showing Adriaan her own garden.

"I'd be most appreciative if you would, me and my wife always did enjoy a pleasant garden. It's been too long since I walked in this one and I'd love to see your own special garden."

"And is this invitation only open to King Adriaan here?" Niko asked a little less than innocently.

"As a new guest King Adriaan must of course have priority over those who have seen the Labyrinth recently." Sarah answered, guessing his motive but not wishing to be rude to Adriaan.

"Nonsense." Was King Adriaan's answer though. "All are welcome to join in the walk that you wish Lady Sarah, it is your garden after all."

In the end though, only Niko and King Adriaan did join Sarah in a walk in her secret garden, all the others having already made their plans for the day or were still enjoying their breakfast.

As Sarah led Niko and Adriaan to her garden, she first gave them a tour of the public gardens and was thrilled to listen to all the little anecdotes Adriaan had to tell her about the times he and his wife and spent there. It made the gardens seem more alive somehow, the history made them all the more personal and Sarah was eager to show off her own garden. When they were about half way through the public gardens, the little group ran into Hoggle who was busy planting grass seeds in a wide expanse of bare earth. Surly in nature but always ready to talk about his work, it took very little encouragement from King Adriaan to get Hoggle to explain the plans he had for this new section of the gardens. Now that the Labyrinth was hosting guests again, Jareth had given permission to extend the gardens and Hoggle was in his element. Once Hoggle had gone over his plans and received praise from both Kings, he was soon back to his work and so Sarah continued the tour.

When they had finished with the public gardens, Sarah led the two Kings to her bench and took a hand of each King in her own before all three sat down, having been assured by Jareth that this would cause the magic of the bench to extend to the men as well as Sarah and transport them to her garden. Sure enough, when her own garden appeared around her, she found Niko and King Adriaan still with her. All three of them rose to her feet and Sarah let go of the men's hands, but to her surprise, and delight, Niko would not release hers. She felt her heartbeat race as his fingers tightened and she closed hers again in response to this. Looking up into his face, Sarah saw his smile matched hers, and she wasn't the only one. With a discrete mention of his being tired, King Adriaan suggested that Sarah show King Niko around her garden whilst he rested and simply enjoyed the view.

Sarah and Niko set off walking around the garden, soon slowing down to lengthen the walk. They strolled in comfortable silence, enjoying the peace and quiet of the garden and the impression of solitude it gave them. When they reached the far end of the garden, Niko stopped and invited Sarah to sit with him on the bench there. The garden was very large, King Adriaan was far enough away that he wouldn't hear what they said, but from the way they were acting he could easily guess.

"Sarah," Niko began, unsure of what he was going to say. "I just wanted to give you my personal compliments on the ball. Everything last night went perfectly, the decorations were stunning, the goblins were immaculate. You showed the Labyrinth in it's full glory and have helped create a lot of ties to the other Kingdoms. You pulled off a feat that I never thought possible."

Here he paused, looking Sarah full in the eyes for a few seconds before continuing.

"I also wanted to tell you how beautiful you looked."

Sarah felt her heart race at these words and mentally berated herself for being a sentimental fool. This was old fashioned courtship at its best and despite how hard she tried to remain the modern girl and be impervious to his words, she felt herself melting at them anyway.

Silence reigned once more as Sarah sat smiling up at Niko, unable to think of anything to say as warmth and happiness flooded through her. This was an entirely new feeling to Sarah. She'd had boyfriends in the past, one very serious one that had left her heartbroken when he'd ended it, but to feel so much, so soon for someone was unknown to her. She felt herself falling into Niko's eyes, unable to stop herself even though she knew this could not end well.

Seeing the hold he had over her, Niko's own grin increased significantly. Up until this point he'd been unsure as to Sarah's feelings for him, but now there could be no doubt. No woman could look at a man the way Sarah was looking at him without feeling anything. Niko longed to reach out and touch her face tenderly, to lean in and kiss her lips gently, but decorum reigned supreme as always and instead he had to be satisfied with taking her other hand in his and sitting quietly and contently in that small embrace.

Eventually, Sarah's own sense of propriety came back to her and she stood up in a hurry, though reluctantly, worried that she had offended King Adriaan by leaving him alone so long. The walk back to the bench where Adriaan sat took less time, but Sarah's hand never once left Niko's. King Adriaan waved away Sarah's apologies instantly, saying he had enjoyed the rest but thought it was now time to return to the castle, so Sarah and Niko escorted him back to his room.

Although Sarah longed to simply spend time with Niko, she knew her duties and was determined to perform them well. One of the rooms she'd requested during the preparations for the ball was a large room where the guests could relax together during the day if they didn't want to go exploring in the Labyrinth. It was a still an hour until lunch, although the time had certainly flown for Sarah that morning, so it was likely that some of the guests would still be in the 'living room' as Sarah had nicknamed it, for want of a more formal title. As she'd expected, when she arrived there were about thirty people milling about and quite a few goblins there to serve them. Sarah quickly bent down and whispered something in Gree's ear before he went rushing off to speak to some of the goblins and Sarah went to speak with her guests.

Now they were in public, Niko had let go of Sarah's hand. It would not be seemly for them to appear too close in such a formal setting, but he had high hopes of another solo visit very soon and so left Sarah to her duties as hostess, going off instead to seek out his brother.

Sarah missed the feel of his hand in hers but was soon immersed in conversation with a number of nobles, explaining to them some of the work that had gone on in the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth had expanded it's 'spring' weather over the castle and it's grounds, but the maze itself remained shrouded in snow, which had put off quite a few nobles from going out into it. Along with that was the ridiculous notion of them getting lost. Each party that set out had a guide, either one of the Aboveground women, or one of the subjects of the Labyrinth; the dwarves, the half-breeds and any other subject that was not full goblin. As well as the goblins had behaved on this visit, there was too much chance of them getting distracted in the Labyrinth and abandoning the guests. Not that they would be lost even if that did happen. Jareth's crystals would immediately find any wandering guest and return them safety, but the illusion of safety is the important thing, so only the more trustworthy subjects had been commandeered as guides.

Nevertheless, some of the guests were still too wary to venture out into the snow and so had remained behind in the warmth of the castle. Yet they too were curious as to what Sarah and the other women had been doing during their time in the Labyrinth and so Sarah spent the remaining time before lunch explaining and illustrating some of the changes. It wasn't too long before Gree came rushing back with news of the rulers. Sarah already knew that King Adriaan was in his room and she guessed Niko had gone to seek out Jareth. With the help of the other goblins though, Gree was able to tell her that King Haru and Queen Kebi were out in the Labyrinth with Hillevi as were King Ilya and Queen Larissa. Prince Alastor and his fiancé were still exploring the castle and Queen Tyra had gone to walk around the public gardens just as Sarah had left. Knowing her duties as host Sarah tried to excuse herself to go and see if Queen Tyra needed assistance, but her guests were too enthralled by her stories that they would not let her go until it was time to dress for lunch, at which point it was too late.

With a sigh, Sarah finally excused herself and retired to her own room to find Hillevi and Amber already there.

"Why did I ever agree to plan this damn ball?" Sarah exclaimed, shutting the door behind her and rushing over to her wardrobe.

"Because you're an idiot." Amber said, laughing, but helping Sarah to dress quickly. "But that's not important. What's important is that so far everything's gone amazingly, all the guests now love this place and we've got some truly amazing outfits to wear. The bone-crushing exhaustion is a mild price to pay for that."

Sarah laughed at Amber's words, or at least she started to laugh before an enormous yawn overtook her which set all three of them laughing. With the two girls help Sarah was soon dressed and ready to continue her duties as hostess, thanking any gods who were listening for inspiring her to make this only a twenty six hour visit and no longer. This lunch was the final meal of the festivities, so it would be more formal than a lunch usually would be. At first the traditions of the Underground had baffled Sarah, but she was more than thankful for them now. Aboveground an event like this would usually end with an evening meal, but down here, all formal visits lasted full days. As the festivities had opened with the evening meal, it had to end with lunch to make sure all three meals were eaten and to allow visitors to get a full overview of a country's ways. After lunch the guests would begin to make their way back to their homes and as much as the girls were enjoying the roles they had been given, their lack of sleep and over-working was beginning to catch up with them and they were looking forward to peace and quiet again.

Once again the meal was laid out in the ballroom but the three tables had been drastically altered. The point of the visit had been to show the neighbouring kingdom's a new view of the Labyrinth and that was just what Sarah had intended to do. The theme for the final meal was the Labyrinth itself. Instead of three tables there were many, no longer straight, but concentric circles, starting in the middle and moving outwards. Each table, apart from the centre one, had a gap at the top end that had the dual function of allowing people into the inner tables as well as giving the whole arrangement the appearance of a circular maze, just as Sarah had designed. The guests were more than impressed when they saw the layout of the tables, raising Sarah up further in their estimations, but the rest of the room only increased the effect.

The floor had been altered magically to look like worn and weathered paving stones, set out to exactly match the layout of a section of the stone maze, rough smaller stones showing where the walls were and making an illusion of a labyrinth of the entire room. The walls were enchanted to look like the forest of the fiery's, what the guests didn't know was how deep the enchantment went. The walls didn't just look like the forest, it _was_ the forest, an illusion that had placed the ballroom, temporarily, in the centre of the forest. The guests were entertained by the images of fiery's and other forest creatures darting about behind trees and playing their boisterous games in the distance, never once realising they were being shown the true nature of the forest of the Labyrinth.

Each candelabra had a real, miniature hedge maze at its base and the plates were set out with faintly etched images from the goblin city on them, the more tasteful sights that is. To finish it off, the silverware and glassware had tiny fairies, goblins, knights and monsters etched into them. All in all it gave every single visitor at least a small view of the world in which they were currently residing, whether they'd chosen to go out into the Labyrinth themselves or not.

The royals and Sarah all sat in the centre table in the same seating arrangement as before and more than once, Niko's hand brushed gently against Sarah's, bringing a smile and a faint blush to her face. Jareth was aware of this but chose to say nothing, allowing them to have their fun, although a faint frown did appear on his brow at these times, indicating the troubled mind that lay beneath it.

The rest of the visitors were invited to sit where they would, even the rules of male-female sitting were abandoned to the greater spirit of forging new friendships. Jareth's minor frown was often erased by a wide grin as he cast his eyes around to find the other Aboveground girls surrounded by multiple suitors. He feared the nobles would try and take his girls away too soon, but was secure in knowing how much the women loved the Labyrinth and their work here and he knew they would not be tempted away from it in the near future.

The meal passed pleasantly and many invitations for casual visits were issued between the guests whilst the other rulers vowed they must have a similar event to show Jareth and his girls how their own Kingdoms were nowadays. Once lunch was over the long process of saying goodbye began. The rulers were the first to leave, giving both Jareth and Sarah their compliments on the visit and promising that a formal invitation would soon be issued for them to visit their own lands. Queen Tyra once again offered Sarah her training horse, promising to send it in the next few days. After that the other guests began leaving a few at a time, almost every one of them stopping to give a word or two of praise to Jareth and Sarah. Sarah found herself beaming with pride through her exhaustion, glad beyond words that the visit had gone so well, that they had all been able to show just what an amazing land the Labyrinth was.

Of course there were a few who were not impressed by what they'd seen. The Labyrinth was still far from tame and the wilder elements had made an impression on some of the visitors; those used to the elegance and protocol of more civilised lands. Yet overall the visit had served its purpose and when the castle was finally emptied of all guests, smiles were firmly fixed on the faces of the King and all the Aboveground women.

"Well I believe we can call that a success." Jareth said, gazing around at the ballroom in satisfaction. "I would like to give my personal thanks to each and every one of you. The work you've all done has been beyond all of my expectations." A glint of mischief came into his eyes as he paused before continuing. "Now I think it's about time to start cleaning up."

A barrage of napkins, spoons, candles and anything else the girls could get their hands on immediately went flying towards the King who simply disappeared, leaving only his laughter behind to torment the girls.

"That's it, I'm going to bed." Amber exclaimed, dragging herself up from the chair she'd collapsed in once the last guest had left.

"It's not even dinner time yet." Sarah said, laughing.

"I don't care. I had four hours sleep last night and I've worked harder than I ever have in my life, I'm going to crawl into my bed and sleep for at least twenty six hours."

With a sleepy smile and eyes that were almost closed, Amber trudged out of the room and the other girls followed soon after, once again leaving Sarah alone in the ballroom. She smiled as she took one final look around her, pleased with what they had all accomplished and looking forward to all that was to come from the new ties with the other Underground lands. At that point an immense yawn escaped her and she decided to follow Amber's example after all. She managed to climb to her feet before a voice behind her made her spin around.

"With a yawn like that, anyone would think that you'd had a busy time of it Sarah."

"You're as sarcastic as your brother sometimes you know that?" Sarah said, smiling nevertheless as she turned to face Niko who had appeared behind her.

"Why my dear I'm hurt," Niko replied, feigning indignity. "I'm far more sarcastic than Jareth ever was."

Sarah laughed at his humour but soon found herself silent as Niko closed the gap between them. His face was serious now as he gently lifted his hand to Sarah's face, caressing her cheek lightly. For her part, Sarah was speechless, her heart pounding with expectation of the event she hardly dared believe was about to happen. Niko toyed with speaking but in the end decided to let his actions speak and let hers be an answer. Hesitantly, giving Sarah ever opportunity to pull away, Niko lowered his face to hers, placing his lips with a gentle pressure against her own and feeling the slight force that indicated her acceptance of his move. The next kiss was less hesitant, but still gentle, their lips telling the other, without words, exactly what they wanted to hear.

By the time Niko pulled away, Sarah's heart was racing, her cheeks were flushed and her mouth formed a stunned smile. There was no need to clarify things with words, they both knew now how the other felt. Instead, Niko smiled back at the Aboveground woman that had captured his heart, lifted her hand to his mouth to give it a kiss and departed with the words:

"Until next time."


	21. Chapter 21

All of the girls awoke late the next day, Sarah last of all. Despite her exhaustion, it had taken her a long time to get to sleep with the memory of the kiss so fresh in her mind. It was nearer noon than dawn when she made her way to the dinning room to see if there was any breakfast left, and she wasn't surprised to find all the girls still there, reluctant to leave and begin the tedious duties of cleaning up. Only Amber and Kerry were still eating though and Sarah joined these two to tuck into a hearty cooked breakfast. The conversation was based wholly on the visit, discussing the visitors, reliving amusing occurrences and talking about the new friendships they'd all made.

As Kerry was relating a tale of the unwanted advances of a Duke from Niko's kingdom, Amber sent many a meaningful look Sarah's way which she knew meant there would be a long discussion about Niko on the cards soon. Sarah felt herself blush furiously at the prospect which only made Amber grin even more, luckily none of the other girls noticed.

Not long after that Jareth entered the dinning room for lunch and mocked the girls for their laziness at still being at breakfast. It was all light-hearted though and more praise soon followed as invites for visits to the other kingdom's had already begun to pour in. Sarah and the others groaned at the prospect of more work so soon, but deep down they were thrilled. Once Jareth had finished his lunch and Sarah, Amber and Kerry had finished their breakfasts, Sarah stood and suggested they'd all better begin the epic task of tidying up. The groans this time were real as they thought of the mess in the ballroom and all the individual guest rooms that would have to be tidied and cleaned. Not to mention the work of repairing the damage done by tramping feet in the gardens and in the Labyrinth proper as Jareth reminded them, smiling all the while as he relaxed in his chair.

With a not-so-veiled threat about marrying all the girls off to nobles in other kingdom's and leaving Jareth alone with his goblins, Sarah led the girls down towards the ballroom, intending on starting on the biggest problem first. They couldn't have been more shocked however when they opened the door to find the ballroom empty and completely spotless. All the tables had been cleared and removed, the chairs had gone, the enchantments had worn off, the floor swept and polished, not a speck of dirt remained. Sarah stood with her mouth hanging open for a few seconds before remembering Jareth's grin and sending little Gree off to thank him for doing the clean up magically. A quick wander around the castle and the grounds showed that everything had been done by crystal and they had nothing left to do. Not quite ready to return to their proper work, a quick vote decided on a relaxing day in the 'rouge room' before the 'goblin ball' they had promised that afternoon.

Jareth on the other hand, was far from relaxed, his brain was full of disturbing thoughts. During the preparation for the ball, Sarah's magical ability had grown enormously. Much of the smaller enchantments, and a lot of the more difficult tasks, Sarah had achieved herself using her crystal. The trouble had grown in Jareth's mind daily and Sarah's growing attachment to Niko was only making things worse. The Goblin King spent a long afternoon going over everything he knew of Sarah and magic users in this Kingdom, but it only increased his unease. In the end he knew he had to discuss this with Niko at the very least. They'd always been close as brothers, despite their slightly troubled past, and discussing the problem with another might help clarify things for him. Even if it didn't, Niko deserved to know the extent of the situation.

Jareth used a crystal to summon Niko to him and soon enough there his brother sat, a large grin plastered across his face.

"You kissed her didn't you?" Jareth guessed correctly, a smile and a frown battling for position on his own countenance, the smile winning in the end but only by a tiny margin.

"Now brother, a gentleman does not kiss and tell." Niko replied, the grin only widening as he spoke.

"Well you're no gentleman and that smile says it all." Jareth said, laughing quietly. "Do I have to tell you that as a subject of mine Sarah's under my protection and if you hurt her I will make life very unpleasant for you?"

There was a smile on his face but his words had a solemnity to them that gave them weight. Sarah was his subject but she was also his friend. Jareth trusted his brother but knew also of his wily ways and his history with women. Nevertheless, he'd never seen Niko so taken with a woman before, and his brothers reassurances then were genuine. In a way it only made what he had to say harder, knowing Niko's feelings towards Sarah were authentic.

"I don't know if you've noticed Niko, but Sarah has gained some magical ability over the past few months. Quite significant magical ability." Jareth began.

The smile fell from Niko's face and turned into confusion.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Niko asked, his voice tinged with suspicion and anger.

"The Labyrinth does not give magic to just anyone."

"Well Sarah's special, we both know this."

"Gaining magic has more implications than Sarah just being special."

Niko paused before replying, scrutinising his brothers face, trying to discern where this was going.

"And this is a problem?" He eventually asked.

"You know this is a problem." Jareth said, anger creeping into his own voice at the situation they were in.

"You can't be jealous?" His brother asked incredulously.

"Sarah and I are just friends. Under any other circumstances you'd have my blessing but we have a serious dilemma here."

"So you keep saying but I don't see why."

Jareth stared at his brother for a few seconds.

"Don't tell me you're as blind as all that."

Niko's anger began to rise to match that of his brothers.

"And just what is it that I'm supposed to have seen?"

"The Labyrinth's marked her!"

It took a few seconds for Jareth's meaning to sink in, but when it did, all the anger seeped out of Niko. He sank back into the chair, his thoughts spinning around his head as he tried to make sense of them. Now the problem was out in the open, Jareth too became calmer.

"So what do we do?" Niko asked.

"What can we do?"

"You're giving up?" The anger sparked in Niko once again.

"No, damn it!" Jareth said, jumping to his feet and beginning to pace. "But I've been trying to solve this problem for months and I've gotten nowhere."

For a while there was silence as they both thought on the matter.

"Can't she just leave?" Niko suggested.

"No more than I could." Jareth sighed.

Their conversation was interrupted at that point by a summons. Jareth cursed in response but he knew he had to go.

"Will you be here when I return?" he asked his brother.

"I fear not, my own lands require my return, but I shall certainly think on the problem."

Without another word Jareth left to answer the summons leaving his brother to return to his own lands to dwell on the trouble at hand.

Preparations for the goblin ball were easy, they consisted of removing all the breakable items from the room and providing lots of goblin delicacies such as karbobs, wood sandwiches and live bird soup. A couple of crystals from Sarah were all that was required and she left the room just as a hoard of goblins carrying numerous kegs of goblin ale came rushing in the other door.

As promised, neither the King nor any of the girls were present at the goblin ball, although all the other subjects of the Labyrinth were welcome to attend as a thank you for their help in preparations for the visit. The goblin ball had been an awful lot easier to plan. All Sarah had to do was make sure all the goblins knew where and when it would occur; an easy task as news of an event like this spread like wildfire after telling only a single goblin, and make sure they knew to bring their own alcohol; again not a problem as the goblins kept a brewery going all year long and always had numerous kegs laid away for such events.

Even though all the subjects of the Labyrinth other than the girls were invited, very few of the non-goblins turned up. Goblins were the spirit of the labyrinth, the raw element, the wild creatures. A ball of theirs could go on for days, except in this case as Jareth had put a strict time limit on them and all festivities would end at dawn. Goblin ale was stronger than any Aboveground spirit and the goblins drank it in such quantities that nothing within a mile radius was safe, which was why Jareth had magically sealed all the doors to keep the revelry, and destruction, within the ballroom. Although never dangerous, the goblin parties tended to get a bit wild, so Sarah was more than glad to exit before it began, hurrying back to the safety of the rouge room and dreading the mess that would await them in the morning, praying Jareth used his magic to clear up once more.

A quick peek into the ballroom the next morning before breakfast showed Jareth had indeed removed all disorder and destruction and so she hurried on to the dining room. For Sarah and the rest of the girls, life returned to normal. They were up at the usual time to breakfast, Sarah up earlier than the rest for her morning walk in her garden, followed by a brainstorming session. Their minds were more active than ever after such a lull from their creative work and so the sessions were extremely productive. Jareth had offered them all a small holiday at the weekend, time to go home and spend some real time with their families after all their hard work and so the girls were more excitable than ever for the few days following the ball.

Sarah had been visiting her family regularly since she had become a full resident of the Labyrinth. Every couple of weeks she'd go spend a day with them, but the prospect of being able to spend a few days in a row there had her overjoyed. Letters had been sent by the girls to their families to inform them of the visits. Communicating by telephone between Aboveground and Below was difficult due to the magical barriers between the worlds so the girls had resorted early on to paper communication. In the world of modern electronics this had at first surprised and confused their families, but they soon began to think of it as quaint and enjoyed the regular written communication.

As the week passed and the holiday drew nearer, the girls were as busy as ever. They'd fallen far behind in their work and it took them more than a few days to get the goblins back up to full speed after the devastation that had been their own little ball. Not one goblin had been able to stand up the day after, let alone work, and even when they were all fully conscious and sober, their so called 'hangover cures' were keeping them working at a slower pace. Anvils on the ears, walking on their heads, covering their faces with canvas bags, ridiculous ideas that only served to slow them down and annoy the girls who were eager to get back to normal. Even little Gree dragged his feet and took to hiding in Sarah's shoes instead of eating her shoelaces and assisting her as he tried to return to life after the night's drinking.

Sarah soon gave up trying to coax the goblins back to work, leaving it to the more tenacious girls, instead she was busy replying to the invites that were pouring in thick and fast. To the more important ones, those from Royals and the most powerful nobles, dates had to be arranged for a return visit, correspondence was begun to organise who was going, how long they were staying and anything they would require whilst they were there. For those invites that were less urgent, Sarah had to write many, many tactful replies deferring the visit until a later date, without offending the host and undoing all the good work the ball had done in creating new ties.

Three days after the ball, Queen Tyra sent along her old horse and trainer just as she'd promised and Sarah was introduced to the exciting world of horse riding. She took to Asta from the start and although she wasn't a natural rider, she was a quick learner and soon began to love riding. A surprising turn out from this was how well Sarah and Queen Tyra got on. When Asta had arrived, Sarah had speedily sent off a heartfelt thank you note to Queen Tyra and had received a light-hearted reply saying she knew how difficult it was to get on with Queen Larissa without being a proficient rider. Before long the two women were soon in regular communication with each other and Sarah knew she had found a true friend in the young Queen and she looked forward to visiting Tyra's islands.

And then there was the Niko factor. Not a day went by that the foreign King didn't drop in on Sarah at least once. Impromptu lunches, surprise gifts, long walks in the garden, the hours seemed to fly by for them both whenever they were together. Niko never once mentioned the problem of the Labyrinth marking her to Sarah, although it weighed on his mind constantly. Part of him knew that she deserved to know, but he did not want to throw a shadow on their blossoming relationship just yet and so kept putting it off day after day whilst Sarah remained blissfully unaware and simply enjoyed their time together tremendously.

Due to the amount of the work the girls had to do that week, the weekend arrived sooner than they expected. They'd all packed well in advance and so by the time they rose on Saturday morning, they were all fully ready to leave. After a short speech by Jareth instructing them on how to return at the end of their visit and telling them to go off and enjoy themselves, the girls said goodbye to each other and then each gripped a crystal firmly in their hand and wished themselves back to their families.

**A/N Thank you! I love you all :)**

**I do try to reply to every review personally but some are coming through unregistered so I can't reply, this doesn't mean I don't appreciate them!**

**PinkFlora: The plot thickens... There's a little hint but nothing more. Also thank you for your support regarding Sarah's romance, glad to know I'm not alone out there**


	22. Chapter 22

As Sarah appeared on the drive of her parents house, the magic of the crystal showing her stepping out of a taxi to anyone who happened to be watching, she couldn't stop herself grinning at the prospect of a long weekend at home. In addition to that it was Toby's eleventh birthday that day and her dad and Karen had kept Sarah's visit a secret from him so it would be a surprise. With one last deep breath to ground herself back into Aboveground and clear her mind of all Underground work, she ran the short distance up to the house.

Once she got in she threw her overnight bag down in the doorway and ran straight through to the living room where Toby sat, still in his pyjamas, amidst a large pile of presents and wrapping paper with Robert and Karen smiling down as he opened his latest gift. At the sound of the door opening, Toby's head spun around and within half a second he was across the room and hugging his big sister, despite how unmanly such a move was. Sarah's smile widened as she hugged him back before he pulled away and immediately began dragging her over towards his presents, babbling away all the while.

"You came, you came! I can't believe you came! Look, look what I got for my birthday already and I'm not even halfway through! And now you're here and did you bring me presents or is this one of those lame 'me being here is your present' because if it is you can go back right now and just send me a present, I mean I'm happy you're here but eleven is an important age and I think you should get me a present."

All three adults laughed at his excited outburst and Sarah was quick to reassure him that she had indeed brought him a present but he had to open it last of all. Her words sent the boy back to his pile of presents with an impossibly renewed vigour, leaving Sarah to have a few moments with her dad and Karen.

"It's good to see you Sarah." Her dad said, hugging his daughter.

"It's good to be back." Sarah replied, returning his hug and then Karen's.

"It's about time we got you back for a proper visit, those twenty four hour stop-overs aren't long enough." Karen said fondly.

Sarah smiled back at her in agreement before being dragged away by Toby to be shown his latest gift. It took Toby almost an hour to finish opening the presents from his parents due to needing to display and explain every single thing he received to Sarah with childish excitement. Eventually though the pile was finished and he turned to Sarah with gleeful anticipation. Smiling, Sarah went to retrieve her bag from where she'd dumped it on her arrival and brought Toby his gifts. The Labyrinth didn't exactly have a gift shop, but it had more than enough inspiration for one, and Sarah had wanted to share a bit of her new life with her brother, even if she couldn't explain it. The first thing she gave him was her old copy of the Labyrinth, a faded, leather bound little red book that had altered her life forever. She didn't want the same life for Toby, but she wanted to give him a little of the joy that book had given her.

Toby quickly ripped off the wrapping and then shocked Sarah by his reaction.

"Ooh cool, the Labyrinth, I remember this story!"

"You do?" Sarah asked shocked and not a little worried that she'd stirred memories that ought to have been left dormant.

"How could he not?" Her father asked, laughing quietly. "You used to read and act it out constantly. I forget the number of times you'd come down still in costume and insist on reciting a scene for us."

Sarah felt herself blush at her youthful passion, but her fears of Toby remembering his time in the Labyrinth were put to rest. The next present Toby opened was a plush doll of one of the fierys and it's safe to say he was a little less enthusiastic about this one.

"A teddy?" He asked, decided unimpressed.

"It's a fiery, from the Labyrinth. See, his head comes off." She said, demonstrating.

"Now that's cool!" Toby said, changing his tone and immediately pulling all the limbs off the toy.

After that came the main present, something Sarah had debated for a long whether to give him or not, considering how long he'd spent around the goblins, but in the end she'd gone for it, knowing her brother secretly shared her passion for acting.

Sarah heard Toby gasp as he pulled the wrapping paper off the oversized goblin armour. Identical in every detail to normal goblin armour, using the same materials and in fact made by the goblins, the suit was large enough to fit Toby, although not for very long at the rate he appeared to be growing.

"This is," Toby began, unable to think of the proper words through his excitement. "Oh man Sarah, this is awesome."

"Don't forget this." Sarah said, picking up the sword Toby had not yet spotted as he began to put the armour on.

"You're the best sister ever!" The boy exclaimed, beginning a mock combat with the tall lamp.

"It's severely blunted." Sarah said in reply to her father's raised eyebrow. "It's about as dangerous as a letter opener."

In truth it was a heck of a lot less dangerous due to the charm Jareth had laid on it that prevented anyone using it for harm, whether purposeful or accidental, but obviously she couldn't explain this to her dad.

"Now where on earth did you managed to find these things Sarah? I thought the Labyrinth was a rather obscure book." Karen asked.

"It is but I found a cute little fairytale themed shop whose owner loved the story almost as much as I do so she'd started making all this stuff based on it."

Well it was almost true. The fiery plush and the armour and sword were all handmade, but they weren't to be found on earth and certainly not in any shop. The sword and armour were definitely the most played with items that day as Toby eagerly showed them off to everyone who came around. For Sarah it was a pleasant day, spending time with her family, catching up with some old friends and generally just being able to completely relax. No thoughts of the Underground crowded her brain, all thoughts of the work to come had vanished, only a certain foreign King kept invading her mind at odd times and causing her heart to race.

By the end a long day of dealing with a hyper eleven year old and far too many of his friends, Sarah was exhausted and more than ready to drop into her old bed. Conveniently this delayed the talk she knew was coming from her father, the embarrassing heart to heart that occurred about once a year like clockwork. Sarah was glad of the temporary reprieve but knew her father would find a way of cornering her the next day. Of course that didn't stop her planning ways of getting out of it, especially as now she most definitely had something to add to the conversation.

Sarah was awakened far too early the next day by an extremely alert little brother who had decided the entirety of her visit was to be based around him. Not that she minded, she had missed the little pipsqueak. A quick but nutritious breakfast, courtesy of Karen, was soon followed by taking Gandalf, the latest family pet, out for a long walk in the park. Toby spent the time talking constantly of everything that had happened in his life recently that he could remember. Sarah simply stayed quiet, only speaking when a question from Toby required a response, which wasn't often. They got back just in time for lunch and then Toby booked Sarah for the rest of the afternoon to play some of the games he'd got for his birthday with her. On the surface a pleasant request, in reality he just wanted to show off by beating her constantly. Sarah enjoyed spending time with her little brother though so no complaints were made all through the pleasant day, despite Toby's crowing over his triumphs.

As an extra post-birthday treat, Robert got take-out for the family, and Sarah won back some points from Toby for being able to use chop sticks proficiently. For Toby's part he spent a lot of time pushing food around his plate before deciding to use the chop sticks as skewers and eventually giving up and shovelling the food down with a knife and fork. Sarah laughed at his childish antics, enjoying the visit immensely. She never truly felt at home there though, not the way she did in her garden in the Labyrinth. This was her family and she loved them just as she loved being here with them, but part of her longed for the peace she felt back in her true home. She was enjoying every minute of her stay and yet her mind kept drifting back to the Labyrinth, even after a day she found that she missed the place and she knew going back wouldn't be as hard as she had thought it would be.

These thoughts didn't detract from her enjoyment though and she hugged Toby all the closer as they watched a film to end the day. Well to end it for Toby anyway, there were still a few hours left after Toby went to bed and Sarah had run out of excuses to not spend time alone with her father. About half an hour after Toby had gone to bed, Karen excused herself to catch up on some housework, which was probably true, but no less an excuse to let Robert have his 'talk' with his daughter.

"So Sarah." He began as soon as Karen was out of the room.

"So Dad." Sarah replied, not sure how much she could really tell him.

"Well you're twenty three now and I know you're enjoying your new career and all, but don't you think it's time to be settling down sometime soon."

Sarah couldn't help but laugh at her fathers traditionalist attitude towards the female role, slightly sexist though it was.

"You always did have a roundabout way of talking about boys Dad." Sarah said, a little cheekily, amused to see a slight blush break out on her fathers face. "However this time I do have some news." She continued hesitantly.

Her father sat up a bit more at this. Sarah had had boyfriends in the past but looking at her now, her father knew this wasn't a childish crush. There was colour in her cheeks and even through her reluctance to talk, a smile graced her lips as she thought of this new boy. Man, he corrected himself mentally.

"Well go on." He was impatient, but kept his tone light.

"His name is Niko."

At this point Sarah stopped, she had no idea what she could tell, what to lie about or what to avoid altogether. She hated lying to her father, but with her life came certain secrets, she'd known this for a long time, although that didn't make it any easier. Robert noticed her pause and remained silent, allowing her to tell it in her own way.

"He's a few years older than me."

It was true, although in reality he was _quite_ a few years older, physically he only looked four or five years her senior.

"He owns a company near to where I work."

It was the nearest she could come up to an Aboveground ruler. At this however, her mind rang blank. She felt she could have spoken about Niko for hours but everything about him was intricately mixed in with her life Underground and it was impossible to explain to her father in mundane terms. Thankfully her father, seeing she was at a loss, began to ask questions of his own. The important ones of age and means of supporting Sarah should things get serious had already been answered, so he moved onto less important, but still interesting ones.

"So where did you meet him then?"

A tricky question, but not impossible.

"He's the brother of my boss. He came over for an official visit and I was put in charge of looking after him during the visit." That last part was entirely true at least.

"And your boss is okay about this?" Robert asked sceptically.

"He seems to be, he's not really mentioned it." Sarah replied, realising the thought had never actually crossed her mind yet. She really should find out Jareth's feelings on the subject, find out if he was even aware of the budding romance.

"How long have you known Niko?"

"A few weeks."

"And things are going well?"

"They're going very well." Sarah answered, a grin spreading across her face at the memory of the kiss.

Robert wasn't as stupid as fathers are often made out to be and he spotted this grin and guessed the meaning, fearing for his little girl as he did so.

"And he's a gentleman?"

Sarah spotted her fathers frown and laughed.

"He's a perfect gentleman, he's had a very traditional upbringing and has outstanding morals and manners. You don't have to worry about me Dad."

Robert trusted Sarah and his fears were abated slightly by her words, but the worry of a father for a daughter never goes away. He asked a few more curious questions which Sarah answered as best she could, after which Karen returned and they spent a pleasant evening chatting together before going to bed.

Lying in bed later whilst the rest of the house was asleep, Sarah found her thoughts firmly fixed on Niko. Her memory took her back time and again to that kiss and she couldn't stop herself from smiling, all the while mentally berating herself for doing so. He was a King, she was... Well who even knew what she was, but she certainly wasn't royalty. The chances were she was reading too much into Niko's actions and maybe some time away from him was a good idea, let her calm down, get a hold on her emotions. If things kept going as they were, it was inevitably going to end badly for her. She didn't have a chance with him and she knew it.

And yet his words lingered long in her mind as she finally drifted off to sleep.

"Until next time..."


	23. Chapter 23

Jareth had spent most of that morning sat on his throne, one leg thrown over the side and a finger to his mouth, deep in contemplation. The castle was quiet and felt empty without the girls, the goblins having taken the prospect of no work as an excuse to invade the ballroom again and have a three day party, and it only left him more time to ponder over the problem of Sarah and her magic. As noon approached he gave up on trying to solve it himself and summoned his brother, not caring if he was busy.

"You're lucky things are quiet now, or I'd never be able to spend this much time in your kingdom brother." Niko said, appearing in the middle of the throne room.

"You spend time in my kingdom but you do not spend it with me, so less of that." Jareth shot back, a knowing grin on his face.

Niko grinned in return before conjuring up a chair and taking a seat opposite Jareth.

"So what's on your mind?" He asked, once comfortable.

"The same thing that's on yours I don't doubt." Was Jareth's reply.

"Well now I'd hardly call Sarah a thing big brother, that's highly insulting."

"I was more thinking of the problem of her magic than of the girl herself."

"And that's where we differ." Niko said laughing.

"I really don't understand that girl." Jareth said, studying the younger King. "How can a simple mortal girl do all that she's done; fit into any role she's given, charm even the most suspicious noble, befriend one King and enchant another."

The last was a well meaning barb aimed at his little brother but Niko simply shrugged it off.

"Clearly she's got more than one kind of power."

"You think it's related to the magic?" Jareth asked, confused.

"Not at all." Niko answered, laughing again. "Just the enchanting power of her voice, her eyes, her brain, her lips..."

At this he broke out, a smile creeping across his face at the memory of the kiss. Jareth's frown only deepened at his words.

"You're sure it was just a kiss?" He asked, anger clear in his voice.

His words of her befriending a King were truthful, she was his friend, he cared for her as such and he would not have her reputation sullied by anyone, not even his own brother. Niko, seeing the protectiveness his brother was exhibiting, only laughed.

"Fear not, Goblin King, twas a kiss and nothing more. Our dear Sarah is safe. Come, you know me better than that."

"If you truly care for the girl, then yes, but I've known more than one tavern lass, in more than one kingdom, lose her morals to you and I won't see the same thing happen to Sarah."

Niko's smile faded at this. Jareth's words were true, that he could not deny, although the same could be said of him. They were both young by Fae standards and play of all kinds was natural to them. But Sarah was different, as Niko rushed to assure his brother. He cared for her too much to risk ruining her or losing her for the sake of passion. Reassured by Niko's words, Jareth turned the conversation back to the problem of her magic, but as before, no solution could be reached. What was happening was unprecedented. Niko had searched his own library for any such accounts in history but there was nothing. Niko knew of the only path left open to Jareth, but he did not push him to follow it, he too knew the reasons Jareth was reluctant and so allowed him to move things at his own pace. Of course for now that pace was rather stationary. As yet, no danger had presented itself through Sarah's magic use, it had in fact turned out to be advantageous overall, and as long as Sarah remained unaware of its implications, Jareth was content to leave things as they were.  
As morning became afternoon, became evening, Niko eventually went back to his own Kingdom and the work that was beginning to back up with all his time away. Both brothers continued to think of a certain mortal girl long into the night, but their thoughts were exceedingly different. Neither knew just how soon things were going to come to a head.

"But you can't be all that important Sarah, can't they just get anyone else to do it?"

"Yes I am and no they can't Toby." Sarah replied, laughing at his childish view of the world.

Toby simply sulked more at her answer. They'd spent the day playing video games, watching films, having mock battles with Toby in his armour and Sarah using an umbrella as a weapon, and just generally hanging out in that state of happiness in which siblings who spend a lot of time apart are often found when they're together. Now that dinner was over and it was time for Sarah to leave, however, Toby was becoming difficult.

"Well can't you be an important person here?" Was his next attempt at convincing Sarah to stay.

"I'm an important person wherever I go." Sarah teased. "It's just they won't pay me for it here."

Toby was betrayed by a laugh before he got himself back under control and went on frowning again.

"I'll pay you, you can have all my pocket money if you stay."

Sarah was tempted to laugh at his desperate attempt to make her stay, but in truth, his pleas were beginning to get to her. Taking a break from her packing she went to where Toby was sat on her bed and knelt down in front of him.

"You know I don't want to leave you Toby, you're my little brother and I love you."

Toby screwed his face up momentarily at her soppy words, but his frown soon turned to sorrow.

"But I have to go back to work. I promise I'll keep visiting you as often as I can, I miss you, you little pipsqueak."

A slight smile crossed Toby's face at the use of Sarah's old nickname to him, but it faded as quickly as the frown had.

"Besides." Sarah continued, taking on a lighter tone now. "if I came back I'd want my room back so you'd have to move back into this box of a guest room."

"Go, then, go." Toby said, jumping off the bed and trying to drag Sarah out of the room. Within seconds they were both laughing and a light-hearted wrestling match followed which Sarah let Toby win as her sense of guilt over leaving overrode her desire for sibling superiority. Once the match was over though, the sorrow returned to both of them and all too soon it was time for goodbyes.  
There were tears all around as Sarah gave out hugs and kisses, even from little Toby although he tried valiantly to hide them. As she looked at his little face, Sarah was tempted to ask Jareth for just one more day with them, but she knew that would only make it harder. She loved her family but she belonged in the Labyrinth, even through her sorrow she could feel the land calling her back home. So with a final farewell squeeze for Toby, she walked out of the door and gripped the crystal tightly, wishing herself back to the Labyrinth before she could have second thoughts.

As Sarah reappeared in her room, an intense feeling of relief shot through her. She hadn't realised until this moment, just how much she'd missed the place. Dumping her bag on the bed she threw on a winter coat and dashed out to her garden. Appearing on her bench, the peace she always felt there was more intense than ever and Sarah let out a breath she hadn't even known she was holding. This truly was where she belonged. She loved Toby, she loved her family, and she'd always visit them, but this was her home now and there was no way she could leave it for any extended length of time, it was too much a part of her.

It had long grown dark by the time Sarah emerged from her garden, and the terrible, cold snow had begun again. Jareth assured her that winter would be ending soon enough, there'd be a few days of turbulent weather and then either spring or summer would emerge, and Sarah couldn't wait until that happened. She really did miss the sun and its warmth.

When she got back to her room, Sarah found Gree sat on her bed, munching on the supply of shoelaces she always brought back for him, having already rummaged through her bag in her absence. Sarah laughed at the his slightly guilty face and the noise alerted Amber and Hillevi that she was back, causing them to rush into her room and begin the long, long process of discussing their weekends. One by one the other girls joined them, Sarah's being the room of choice when they weren't gathering in the Rouge Room for whatever reason. The entire group revelled in telling every detail of their respective visits, showing photographs and the random souvenirs they'd brought back. Sarah was glad she'd thought to pick up some recent photos of the family and the others cooed over the blonde haired, blue eyed angel that was Toby on a good day.

The talk went on long into the night until all the girls were drooping and as an exhausted, and not a little hungover, Gree fell off the bed mid-chew, Sarah decided it was time to retire and all the girls said goodnight and left for their own rooms. As Sarah fell to sleep that night, the sorrow over missing her family fought with the excitement over the prospect of seeing Niko soon and she was never quite sure which came out victorious in the end, but the later was certainly more welcome.

Work began in earnest the next day. Sarah's working day now began with an hours riding lesson before the morning brainstorm session, of which she was, once again, fully a part. After that came lunch and then the girls split up to work on whichever bits of the Labyrinth gave them inspiration. For Sarah, however, her role as 'Events Organiser', official now after her success with the ball, took up most of her afternoons. More and more invites poured in and Sarah wondered how they'd ever be able to fulfil even half of the ones they'd accepted. For the royal ones, where visits had already been planned, there were all the little details that needed to be sorted out. For now only Jareth and Sarah were going on the visits, with a few subjects to act as whichever servants were needed. Later the other girls would visit to increase ties between the lands and hopefully the Labyrinth would become a fully integrated part of the Underground, unlike the outcast it had always formerly been.

For each visit Sarah had to organise outfits for the pair of them, sort out transport, decide which subjects were to accompany them, get the girls up to speed on how to keep the Labyrinth going whilst she and Jareth were away and read up on the various protocol of each Kingdom they were visiting so she didn't make any political mistakes. The work could have kept her busy long into the night but Sarah stopped working at dinner, as requested by Jareth, and spent the evenings either relaxing with the other girls or in her old habit of talking with Jareth. And then of course there was her time with Niko.

As a ruler himself, Niko had an awful lot of responsibilities and very little time on his hands, and with her new duties Sarah was much the same. Yet both of them managed to find an evening or two a week to spend together. Walking together in Sarah's garden, relaxing in the office Jareth had given Sarah upon her return, or even having leisurely talks with Jareth himself. As time went by, the couple became closer than ever. Sarah's fears of Niko having no real feelings for her proved to be unfounded, although a small knot of dread still resided in the depths of her heart. She knew Niko cared for her, that was no longer in question, but an air of unease lay over their heads whenever they were together. For Sarah it was the fear that this would not last, that he was a King and she was a lowly mortal, how could they ever possibly be together. Niko's fear wasn't so dissimilar, knowing the Labyrinth had marked Sarah he knew how much trouble that could cause between them.

Niko and Jareth had many talks of the subject of Sarah's marking, but they never came closer to the truth, and neither of them mentioned that final route of knowledge, although the thought flitted around their minds from time to time. They both knew the time to follow it was coming soon though. One evening, intent of spending some time with Sarah, Niko had transported himself to the castle at the centre of the Labyrinth and, discovering that Sarah was still at work, he made his way to his brothers office. As usual, the conversation soon turned to Sarah and their problem, but this time a stray comment made by Jareth suggesting that there was no way Sarah would be allowed to leave with Niko caused a row to begin between the brothers.

"You can't do this to Sarah!" Niko stormed.

"I'M not doing anything, it's the bloody labyrinth!" Was Jareth's equally vehement reply.

Unfortunately for the sibling Kings, Sarah had chosen this time to go over the schedule of the upcoming visits with Jareth and she heard the last two comments.

"Who can't do what to me?" She asked furiously as she stormed into the room.

Both men turned to face her as she entered, their faces stamped with shame at being discovered. For a few seconds there was silence as Sarah glared between the two men, waiting for an explanation. Jareth's own anger, though tinged with humility, was not lessened, the unjustness of the situation fuelling the fire.

"It's none of your concern Sarah." He said, eventually.

"Of course it's my concern, you're arguing about _me_!" Sarah shot back, getting more angry as her confusion increased.

"Sarah..."

She didn't even let Niko finish.

"No, I've had enough." She said, turning back to Jareth. "You dragged me out of my bed in the middle of the night, brought me here against my will, forced me into a life I never wanted and I've done everything you've asked of me anyway, and more! It's about time you told me what's really going on."

She was seething with anger, tired from overworking and frustrated at being kept out of something that so obviously concerned her. Jareth was struggling to control his own temper. He was still King, what right had she to speak to him this way? She had every right of course, his rational mind told him. She'd been sucked into events beyond either of their control. It wasn't her fault but she did have a right to know.

"Take a seat Sarah." He said, quietly.

Sarah was disorientated at his change of tone but did as he asked.

"The kings of this land did not claim their kingdom, it claimed them. You cannot take the Labyrinth by force, you cannot conquer it, the land will simply not allow it." He paused, gathering his thoughts before continuing.

"Eighty one years ago I too wished my brother away, Niko. I won him back as you can see, but I was never the same. The Labyrinth haunted my thoughts, invaded my dreams. Goblins began to follow me around, invisible to everyone else. I feared them but felt lost if they went away. I began to lose touch with my own world, my desire for the Labyrinth was so strong. In the end, I wished myself away. The Labyrinth had marked me and I was never completely happy until I returned here."

Jareth took a deep breath before continuing.

"The Goblin King at the time was nearing the end of his life. He'd ruled here for over six hundred years and his time to rule was nearly over. He spent two years training me to be king before he eventually passed away. This is how the Labyrinth chooses its rulers. It gives them the grace of long life if they be mortal, but in the end all men desire that final rest and so the Labyrinth searches for another worthy to rule. One with a kind heart, a firm hand and an unrivalled imagination to help the Labyrinth grow. As you know, over time the imagination of the Aboveground world has faded, my mind alone was not enough. So you and the others were brought here to help."

He paused, frowning into his goblet of mead.

"And then you began to show signs of magic ability." He forced himself to look into Sarah's eyes as he continued. "Magic is only bestowed upon those destined to rule these lands."

He remained quiet for a while after his speech, allowing Sarah to properly understand what he had told her. She sat there stunned, unable to accept what he was saying. Ruler of these lands. Queen. How could she be Queen? It wasn't possible. Jareth could see her thoughts clearly in her face, see her beginning to panic.

"The Labyrinth has marked you Sarah, by all rights I should be training you for rulership."

Again there was silence. Sarah unable to speak through the shock, Jareth not wanting to rush her. Eventually Sarah began to speak.

"But how can I be Queen if you're already King?"

Trust her to voice the question he couldn't answer, the question he desperately wanted answering himself.

"I don't know. I've ruled for a mere eighty one years, most Kings reach over half a millennia. I'm not weary of this life, I have no intention of giving up my throne," There was a warning in his words.

"And yet here you are, clearly marked as intended royalty."

"What if I don't want it?" Sarah asked, looking over at Niko.

He was the only man she'd ever loved, and she knew in that moment that she did truly love him, she couldn't give him up now. The thought brought tears to her eyes.

"You don't have a choice." Jareth answered quietly.

Anger blazed in Sarah's eyes once again, fiercer than before.

"And who are you to stop me? What are you going to do, lock me up? Fat lot of good I'd be as a Queen imprisoned in a tower!"

"Could you really leave Sarah? Go with Niko, leave the Goblin Kingdom?"

Her heart screamed yes but her voice was silent. The thought danced about her head, slowly becoming a reality. Could she leave? She saw herself married to Niko, sat at his side, Queen to his King. But there was no joy on her face, only a profound sorrow. The Goblin Kingdom was her home, she had friends here. It was more than that though. She belonged here, the Labyrinth was a part of her. Could she leave it? No more than she could tear out her own heart and leave it behind. The tears that had been pricking at her eyelids poured forth, grief at the realisation that she would have to choose between the Labyrinth and the man she loved. And she knew already what that choice would be.

Niko had been watching Sarah in silence and he knew what she was thinking. Just as Jareth had left his own family all those years ago, so now, Sarah would leave him too. When Jareth had left, he had abdicated the throne, Niko had then ascended. Jareth had moved to the Labyrinth but they saw each other often, they were still brothers. But if Sarah accepted the throne? She could not be his wife if she ruled another Kingdom. They could not be together if they lived so far apart. Sarah knew this. Niko knew this. It was him or the Labyrinth and he knew he could never win.

"So what happens to you?" Sarah asked Jareth wearily.

"I don't know."

"We couldn't rule together?"

"Not as long as we're apart. The only way two people can rule together is if they're married."

Niko rose to his feet in anger to protest but Jareth got in before he could.

"Don't worry Niko, I would never do that. Sarah's like a sister to me. I want to see you two together but if that is not meant to be you have nothing to fear from me."

"There has to be some way out of this." Sarah said, frustrated.

"There may be, but you won't like it."

Both Sarah and Niko stared at Jareth in surprise. Sarah at the fact that there may be a solution and Jareth hadn't already tried it. Niko at what he knew Jareth was about to suggest.

"The Labyrinth has marked you for a reason Sarah, we need to find out what that reason is."

"You can do that?"

"The Labyrinth is sentient, that's why it responds to individual runners. To contact it for something like this though we have to go direct to its power source, deep beneath the Labyrinth."

"Then let's go." Sarah said, getting to her feet, eager for a resolution to their problem.

"Patience really isn't one of your virtues is it Sarah?" Jareth mocked. "You'll have to teach her a thing or two if you ever get to take her back to your lands." He added, winking at his brother.

Niko laughed in response, grateful for Jareth's easy way of breaking the tension. Sarah however was not amused. Jareth sensed this and hurried to explain.

"Meeting the Labyrinth is an unsettling experience, it's only when you're in its presence that you realise the full extent of these lands and its power. Plus, its world views are a little distorted."

"You can say that again." Niko added, grimacing at the memory of the one and only time he'd spoken to the Labyrinth.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, struggling to understand.

"Well the Labyrinth controls much of the land of this Kingdom, everything except this castle, its grounds and the wasteland at the borders of the Kingdom outside the Labyrinth's walls. So much so that it feels that it_ is_ the world. Its views are limited and its opinions skewed. Sometimes it does things for reasons no one can understand, other times it makes complete sense. It's like a child who's been given great power. Potentially great but also potentially dangerous."

"So why are you so reluctant to go see it."

"Because I'm scared of what twisted logic brought it to the decision to mark you." He replied, laughing.

Niko joined in with his brother's laughter, but Sarah remained sombre. Jareth noticed her look and with a sigh of resignation he stood and agreed to go speak with the Labyrinth.

"I'm coming too." Sarah added.

"I should have expected that." Jareth said, laughing once more.

"And me." Niko joined in.

"No." Was Jareth's answer to this.

"Why not?"

"Because you'll only get angry and shout at the Labyrinth and I do not want to have to spend the next three months trying to convince it to let you back within its boundaries again."

"Just what happened last time you spoke to it?" Sarah asked Niko.

"The labyrinth insulted his lands when he tried to convince it to let me return home just after I came here to learn to rule." Jareth answered for him. "It said his lands were unworthy of a ruler like me and only here, within its magnificent walls, could I fulfil my full potential. So Niko called it an overgrown shrubbery with an ego completely out of proportion with its own pathetic excuse for a maze."

"I was young and less than diplomatic." Was Niko's only excuse.

"Yes, so the Labyrinth banned him from ever setting foot here again and it took a lot of convincing to get it to allow him back in."

"Well I'm not longer young and impulsive..."

"No but you're more passionate about the subject of the meeting so you're not coming."

Niko looked into his brothers eyes for a few minutes before retaking his seat. There were times when Jareth could be moved and times, like this, when his mind would not be changed. He saw the need for Sarah to come with him though and so with a farewell to Niko, he set off down to the very bottom of the castle.

**A/N So, one very long chapter for you there, and even a few answers to the many questions I've been asked, I hope you liked it! Unfortunately you may not get another update for almost a week, I'm going to be ridiculously busy, hence giving you an extra long chapter when I had the chance. Thank you as always for all the kind reviews, I appreciate every single one of them!**


	24. Chapter 24

Jareth took Sarah on a very convoluted route through the castle, leading her down seven floors on the way. Eventually he reached a door which only a crystal of his could open and on the other side was another set of stairs leading down. They went down so far that Sarah couldn't begin to gage how far they'd gone before the steps abruptly ended and led into a long, cold, stone corridor, lit only by another of Jareth's crystals.

The corridor ended at last far beneath the Labyrinth at a large wooden door. Jareth paused at the door only long enough to glance at Sarah before he opened it and indicated Sarah should enter first. The sight that met her eyes upon passing through the door was less impressive than she would have expected for the heart and the mind of the Labyrinth. She entered a circular stone chamber, five pillars being the only decoration to the round wall. The floor consisted of cracked stones and the roof was the same. The room held no furniture or decoration except for a single stone plinth in the very centre of the room. The plinth was about a meter high, circular and very plain. The only extraordinary thing about the entire room was what rested on the plinth, or to be more accurate, what floated a few inches above it. A crystal. Much larger than Jareth's crystals, this one appeared about the size of a basketball and shone with a distinct iridescence that startled Sarah with its beauty. Within the crystal, Sarah could make out flames that seemed to dance blue and green as well as the traditional red, orange and yellow.

For a few seconds she was stunned. The crystal presented such beauty and yet it rested in the most plain of rooms. Sarah wasn't sure quite what she had expected to see when meeting the sentient mind behind the Labyrinth, but it hadn't been this. Staring in silence she heard Jareth close the door behind him as he entered before he moved to stand beside her.

"_So Jareth, you bring her to me at last_."

The voice filled her head from every direction. It had no gender but held obvious power and for a second after it spoke, Sarah felt a weakness pass through her as she felt the strength in it. Although there was no physical source of the voice, the flame danced all the more as the words were spoken.

"You didn't leave me much choice."

His voice was respectful, but Sarah detected a sharpness behind his words that denoted his anger at the situation he had been put in.

"_You should have brought her to me as soon as she started manifesting power."_

"Forgive my delay," Jareth said, although his tone took all the apology out of his words. "But having Sarah show herself to be my successor a mere eighty one years after I began ruling did rather confuse me."

"_Whoever said anything about her becoming your successor?"_

There was a gloating tone to the disembodied voice that put Sarah even less at ease than she already was.

"Only those destined to rule have ever been given powers by this land, by you. Why would you change that now?" Jareth asked, not sure he really wanted to know the answer.

"_Because this situation has never arisen before. Never have two people having all the necessary qualities for rulership been resident in the Labyrinth at the same time."_

"But we cannot rule together, the Underground has very definite laws against this. A ruler may have a multitude of advisors, but never can there be two rulers."

"_A King may rule with a Queen..."_

And so there it was. The Labyrinth's fiendish plan laid bare. All Jareth's suspicions were confirmed. The Labyrinth didn't want a new ruler, it wanted Jareth to wed Sarah and for them to rule together. His anger came to the fore at the news, all trace of politeness and formality gone as he vented at the power behind his lands.

"Never before has any ruler of this land needed a wife or husband and the Underground has_ never_ condoned forced marriages."

"_No ruler has ever needed to be married before just as you do not need to be married now, but Sarah_ _could help you make such improvements to these lands."_

"She already has." Jareth conceded, but his anger abated not one bit. "So why marriage? Why not leave things how they are?"

"_Because only in marriage can she be a true Queen and only then would she have the power to override_ _you when you need it."_

"I do not need overruling..."

"_Your judgements are good but you do not see things the way she does, sometimes there are better ways."_

"I am King here!"

"_And Sarah will be your Queen!"_

"But Niko..." Sarah protested.

So wrapped up had Jareth been in his argument that he'd almost forgotten Sarah was present until she spoke up, but now he turned to her, his anger cooled slightly by sympathy towards her. Sarah, however, had been listening to every word, taking in all that was said with a feeling of growing horror, but keeping silent as she let Jareth deal with it in his own way. Now however things had become too much. She was being ordered to marry a man she didn't love... and forget the man she did.

The Labyrinth never hesitated in answering though, clearly its plans were fully formed in its mind.

"_His lands weren't good enough for Jareth and neither are they good enough for you. You were destined to rule much greater than that."_

"Always so modest." Jareth said, bitingly.

"_I have no need for modesty. These lands are not what they once were but with you and Sarah together you can bring them back to their former glory, surpass it!"_

"All of which can be done if Sarah stays here in her current role..." Jareth began.

"_No!" _

The power rolled through the room, causing Sarah to take a step back out of sheer weakness against the strength of the Labyrinth.

"_You two will be married."_

"I will not." Sarah's words were quiet, but they held their own force. This was not a girl used to backing down and she would not submit to this land's crazy idea. "I cannot."

"_You have no choice. You were brought here by my will and you will follow that will to whatever end_."

"And what about me?" Jareth asked, his body shaking with the anger it contained.

"_You are a great King Jareth, but with her you are so much more. With Sarah at your side you could bring this land to new heights of glory!_"

"And bring ourselves to ruination! Sarah and I work side by side but we were not meant to be together."

"_Meant or not, that is the way it shall be."_

"You're wrong." Sarah said, quietly, but with venom in her voice. For a second she stared at the orb in front of her, consumed with anger, before turning and striding out of the room.

Jareth didn't hesitate before following her, fearing the repercussions should he be left alone to argue with the Labyrinth. He found himself having to hurry after Sarah, so fast was she striding down the corridor, so anxious to get away from the mind behind the Labyrinth. He walked with her in silence until Sarah could stand it no more and needed to vent.

"How can you stand to live in a land that's so, so..." Sarah paused, trying to think of the correct word. "Evil!" She eventually ended with.

"It's not evil Sarah..." Jareth began to protest.

"Jareth it's forcing me to marry you." Sarah cut him off with.

"Well I'd hardly call that evil." Jareth replied, more than a little offended.

"It is when I'm in love with your brother."

"Good point." Jareth admitted.

For a while they walked in silence, each going over the meeting in their heads. Eventually it was Jareth who broke the silence, his voice quiet and calm again.

"So you love him?"

"Yes." Sarah answered, equally quiet as she realised what she'd said. "Yes, I do."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I really don't know. I can't stay here, not after this, not now I know what the Labyrinth wants. But I can't imagine going back to live Aboveground again."

Sarah was filled with anxiety at the thought of returning back Aboveground. Although she had been in the Labyrinth a relatively short time, it had truly become her home, the thought of leaving it was close to terrifying.

"There is another option." Jareth reminded her. "I'm sure Niko's more than willing to offer you a home in his castle."

At this thought, confusion reigned in Sarah's mind; happiness at the thought of being close to Niko, but still despair over having to leave the Labyrinth. And there were other implications as well.

"Jareth I don't see that as a viable option. I've only know Niko a very short time..."

"Sarah you have to stop thinking about these things in the Aboveground style, things are different here."

"But he's a King!"

"So am I and you've been living quite happily with me for months now." Despite the gravity of the situation, Jareth still managed to keep his frivolous personality at the fore.

"That's not the same." Sarah answered, struggling not to smile nonetheless.

"Sarah, no one will think twice about you moving in with him so soon as long as court protocol is followed."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning separate rooms and no overtly indecent behaviour in public, which I would expect from the both of you anyway."

Sarah couldn't help but laugh at this last statement.

"Since when did you become all prim and proper Jareth?"

"Since you arrived. You've become very bad for my image as goblin King, I hope you know that."

"I know it and I'm proud of it." Sarah replied with a smug smile before her thoughts became serious and wiped the smile away again. "But back to the problem at hand. The timing isn't the only problem. I've seen how some of the Underground residents react to Aboveground folk. The ball may have been a success but there was a definite undercurrent of resentment towards us women. I can't imagine me moving in with a King would go down well."

"Well you're partly right. There will always be those who stick to the traditional values and would not accept someone from Aboveground in a place of authority, but Niko's people, for the most part, judge on character. You proved just how much you belong down here at the ball and that's the impression that will stay in most people's minds." A sly smile stole onto his face before he continued. "Besides, I never thought I'd see the day the almighty Sarah was intimidated by the opinions of others."

Sarah swatted Jareth's chest as they continued to hurry back to Niko.

"You know I'm thinking about the effect it would have on Niko's rulership above anything else. I don't want my presence undermining..."

"I've told you before about overestimating your influence." Jareth joked. "Niko's rulership is whole and complete and you moving in with him will have no effect on that whatsoever."

At this point they had reached Jareth's office and he held the door open for Sarah before following her through and closing the door behind them. Niko stood when they entered, his face showing no emotion as conflicting thoughts and hopes raged within his mind.

"So what happened?" He asked.

"The Labyrinth's evil." Sarah stated, dropping down into a chair, weary after all that had happened and still unsure of what to do.

"Sarah." Jareth said as he took his own seat, a slight warning in his tone.

Niko looked between the two of them before sitting down himself and then looked at Sarah for elaboration.

"The Labyrinth has decided that Jareth and I need to rule together and it's trying to force us to marry."

Her tone was even but Sarah had tears in her eyes as the full impact of the situation began to hit her. If she stayed she would have to marry a man she did not love. If she left, she'd be giving up the land she loved, the life she adored. It all seemed so unfair, having to give everything up so soon after finding such happiness, but Sarah was smart enough not to mention that thought, she'd given up on her old phrase of 'it's not fair' a long time ago and she wasn't about to start using it again now.  
Niko on the other hand had been expecting this much. A quick glance at his brother showed him he did not have to worry about Jareth wanting the Labyrinth's insane plans to go ahead. Now they just had to find a solution for what to do with Sarah if she could not longer remain in the Labyrinth. With a calm voice, but fear in his heart, Niko asked the question he wasn't sure he wanted the answer to.

"Do you want to return Aboveground?"

"No." Sarah answered far too quickly. "Other than my family there's nothing left up there for me."

She couldn't imagine for a second returning Aboveground to the struggle of trying to become a children's writer after all she'd been through. Niko's body flooded with relief at her answer. There was definite hope for him now.

"There's a place for you in my lands if you wish to take it." His words were formal but he was offering more than just a place to live and all in the room knew it.

Sarah remained silent with her head down, unsure of how to answer. She was torn, truly torn, between a land that had become so much more than a home to her, and her love of Niko and right now she had no idea how she could possibly choose between them.

Sensing her unease Jareth tried to give her some time.

"Sarah's got it into her head that being in a relationship with someone from Aboveground would somehow damage your status as ruler." He said in his usual light-hearted way.

"She thinks highly of herself doesn't she?" Niko returned, attempting to keep up with Jareth's optimistic attitude. "Sarah I assure you, having you living in my castle will have no detrimental effect on my ruling whatsoever. In fact if you plan more events in my lands like the ball you organised here, you'll make a lot of improvements."

Sarah smiled at his words but still did not raise her head. A deep despair had begun to set in as her thoughts went round and round the problem of where to go from here. Seeing the trouble in her mind through the set of her body, Jareth knew the dilemma she was facing. He'd faced it too, in his own way, many years ago. He'd had to choose between the Kingdom he'd been raised to rule and the Labyrinth, and the Labyrinth had won. He was determined this would not be the case for Sarah.

"Sarah," He began gently, causing her to finally raise her head and look at him. "the Labyrinth will not give up. If you stay here it will fight to bring us together, it will cause countless problems as long as we refuse to marry now its true intentions are out in the open. Life will no longer be smooth and happy, things will not continue as they have, all visits will become disasters and it will undo all the good work the ball did. It will hound us until we have no choice to give in, and for the good of the people and this land, eventually we will give in. If you choose to stay here, you choose to obey the Labyrinth's will. In all things."

His words created in Sarah an uncontrollable panic. For a second her love of Niko overrode her love of the Labyrinth as it teamed up with her fear of being controlled by anyone or anything. She could see her life under the rule of a tyrannical land and saw all the new bonds with other lands that she'd strived so hard to create being torn asunder and her refusal to allow that forced her to her feet.  
Niko's anger, which had grown to a fury at his own brother's betrayal, was instantly quenched by Sarah's reaction as he realised this was exactly what Jareth had intended. Both men rose to their feet as Sarah fled the room without a word, glancing at each other in confusion for a second before following her. Upon reaching Sarah's room they found her haphazardly piling clothes on the bed in a vague attempt at packing. Seconds after they entered the room they were joined by Hillevi and Amber who had heard the noise of Sarah's frantic movement and come to investigate. The girls stared in confusion whilst the men watched Sarah's actions with worry.

"What's going on?" Amber asked, concerned.

"The Labyrinth, the damn Labyrinth!" Sarah shouted whilst pouring the contents of her desk draws onto the bed before furiously sweeping them onto the floor as she realised she had no use for the paperwork of this land is she wasn't going to live there anymore.

"The Labyrinth has decided me and Sarah have to wed. We both object, Sarah, rather violently." Jareth answered Amber's question a little more fully than Sarah had.

"Marry?" Hillevi exclaimed. "But that's insane! Sarah clearly likes..."

She clapped her hand over her mouth before she could reveal what was possibly a secret but all in the room knew it anyway and Jareth laughed before replying.

"Yes she does love Niko which is why the marriage shall not be going ahead."

"So what's she going to do?"

"I'm getting the heck out of here!" Sarah shouted.

All this time she'd been piling her possessions on her bed, with no real idea of what she was doing, just feeling the need to be doing something in preparation for leaving but not quite ready to leave yet. At her words though, the Labyrinth took over and immediately all her possessions returned to their proper places. As Sarah turned around and saw what had happened she let out a scream of rage and then collapsed in defeat into a chair.

"But she can't leave. Her work, she's doing so well, I mean look at all she's done for the Labyrinth, and the ball and all the visits, she can't leave."

Hillevi was visibly upset by the news and seeing the effect this was having on her friend drained all the anger out of Sarah. Leaving was not an easy decision, her soul longed to remain here, this was her home in a way no other place ever had been. Her friends were here, her work was here, she belonged here in every way. But she could not marry a man she did not love, she could not walk away from Niko. She could not live under such absolute control, she felt like a prisoner, forced to do the jailers bidding. No, no matter what pain it caused her, she could not stay in the Labyrinth.

"I'm sorry Evi, I have to go."

There was a defeat in her voice that touched the heart of all that were gathered there. No one sought to argue with her to stay, they saw how much the decision to go hurt her and they understood her reasons, but it did not make the farewells any easier. Having given up on packing, knowing the Labyrinth would not allow it, Sarah knew the only thing to do was leave. No long drawn out goodbyes, no handing over of work. Amber had worked close by with Sarah on planning all the upcoming visits, she knew enough that with Sarah's written plans and Jareth's help she would be able to take over Sarah's role with Hillevi assisting her. Other than to say goodbye to her friends, there was no reason for Sarah to stay a minute longer.

Seeing Sarah's thoughts on her face, Jareth sent out a crystal to summon all the other girls to Sarah's room and explained the situation before bidding them all to say goodbye. Every girl shed tears as they did so, Sarah more than any, as she was losing the most in the parting. The girls all promised to visit and eventually, after many hugs, even for little Gree, there was only Jareth left. No words were spoken, their understanding of this farewell went deeper than any could understand. Jareth knew what leaving the Labyrinth would do to Sarah, he only prayed she had the strength to bear it, that her happiness at being with Niko would carry her through. After one long hug with her Goblin King, Sarah took Niko's hand in silence and they left for their new life.

**A/N Thank you for all your reviews and for your patience waiting for this update! I hope you like it. The next chapter should be up in a few days.**


	25. Chapter 25

The next few months passed in a dizzying blur. In all reality Sarah had gone from the personal aide of the King of one country, to being the Queen of another. The Labyrinth's words had driven her out of its lands and into Niko's arms and for the first few weeks she found herself worrying that she'd made the wrong decision. She'd panicked and taken the only other course available to her, but what if she'd gone too quickly? Niko and Sarah barely knew each other and now they were living together. Niko, nevertheless, continued to be the gentleman he had been when they'd met. Sarah had her own room. It did adjoin Niko's, but he never stepped a foot in it, only invited her to his for pleasant talks and an evening kiss goodnight. At first Sarah had found it sweet and she was thankful he was not pushing her too quickly, but when the first month passed and they were still on the basis of a quick kiss goodnight, frustration began to get the better of her. Nevertheless, the Underground had its own rules of propriety and Sarah wasn't about to break them by obeying her hormones. She would be patient.

It all other ways though, her life was progressing at breakneck speed. She'd been unsure of what her role would be when she'd arrived in Niko's castle. It wasn't something they'd discussed, hell they'd barely even discussed the move at all, so quick the whole process had been, and Sarah worried about what she'd become. A kept woman, a pretty figure on the King's arm? The thought had played on her mind for the first few days in her new lands as Niko showed her around and then bid her to explore by herself as he went back to his royal duties. The new world kept Sarah entertained for days, so different was it to everything she had known. Cencia was a world of nature; rolling fields, mountain peaks, enormous lakes, moors and valleys. The view out of Sarah's window was breathtaking to behold and Sarah enjoyed exploring the land nearest the castle, looking forward to going further afield in the future. As for the subjects of Cencia, many Fae lived under Niko's rule. The landscape was beautiful, there were no goblins and the magic of the land was pure. It was a good land for Fae to reside in. There were other residents too; elementals, faeries, wood sprites, it was the stuff of fairytales and Sarah was fascinated by all that she saw.

Eventually though, the novelty began to wear off and Sarah started to worry what her life in this Kingdom would be like. She thought of all the skills she'd learnt during her stay in the Labyrinth, but talks with some of the staff of the castle soon assured her that all the roles she was suitable for had already been filled. This was not the Labyrinth, Niko's kingdom was incredibly organised and efficient and Sarah suddenly felt extremely out of place amongst all the order.

Niko carefully kept their evening talks away from work of all kinds, preferring instead to spend the time getting to know Sarah better. Sarah stuck to his example, not wanting to ruin the pleasant time they had together, and so her fears grew as the days passed. It was towards the end of the first week that things really began to change. Sarah's restlessness had only increased in her time there and once again she'd gone exploring the castle just in order to be doing something. The castle was much larger than Jareth's and there were no spells on it so she found herself repeated getting lost. In this way she could kill hours at a time trying to find her way back to the parts she knew, so it was a favourite pastime of hers. On this day she'd lost her way as usual and somehow managed to stumble upon Niko's office. As she opened the door and realised where she was, Sarah hurriedly apologised and tried to leave but Niko called her back.

"Stay Sarah, you might actually be able to help me with something."

Smiling at the prospect of having something real to do after a week of aimless wandering, Sarah happily took a seat opposite Niko.

"I've got a problem with one of the provinces on the outskirts of Cencia. Apparently there's been a feud between the Kukkia family that own that province and the owners of the land adjoining it over the border. A mild fight erupted whilst I was away and although it's now settled and the two lands at peace, both Lady and Lord Kukkia were killed in the fighting."

The look on Sarah's face told of her sympathy for the family, but she knew Niko had not finished speaking so she remained quiet.

"The problem I now have is how the estate should be inherited. Ruusu, the eldest child, is of a legal age to inherit but she's unmarried." He paused at this point and gazed pointedly at Sarah. "How much do you know of our laws?" He asked her.

"Quite a bit on inheritance, it was part of the research for creating the guest list for the ball. Not all Jareth's records were up to date so I had to figure out myself who would inherit and therefore who should sit where."

Niko smiled at her words, realising how fit she was for ruling beside him.

"In that case you know that only married women can inherit, so right now Ruusu is not eligible. She only has one sibling, Lehti, and he's still four years away from the legal inheritance age. So you see my problem."

"Two children, neither of which can legally inherit." Sarah answered, pondering the problem. "What happens in cases like this?"

"It goes to the nearest eligible next of kin. In this case, Ruusu's third cousin, Kuori, and this is where the problem starts. The two branches of the family haven't spoken to each other for three generations, the cousins do not know each other but they know _of_ each other. The family of the Kukkia estate remain nobility; kind, gentle, pleasant people. The feudal branch descend from Rikka who was cast out for falling into ruin and his descendants are even worse than he. If they inherit the Kukkia estate they'll destroy it, along with Ruusu and Lehti, within a year. I cannot let that happen."

"I'm assuming Ruusu is not willing to marry to make herself eligible?" Sarah asked, thinking over what he'd told her.

"She's still young by our standards, she hasn't yet started courting and arranging a suitable marriage would take time we haven't got. The lives of Fae are too long to waste on unhappy marriages but this inheritance issue needs to be solved within two weeks of the Lord and Lady's demise and it's just not long enough."

Both Sarah and Niko remained silent for a while as they tried to come up with a solution to this problem. It was clear the estate needed to stay with either Ruusu or Lehti, but how? Gradually an idea came into Sarah's head but she was still a little rusty with the laws on Niko's kingdom and she wasn't sure it would work.

"Prince Alastor cannot legally inherit his kingdom until he is 35, so he rules under the guidance of supervisors." She began.

Niko, seeing where she was heading, scanned through the heavy book lying on the desk in front of him. Finding the page he was looking for he quickly read it, reading out loud when he came to the relevant passage.

"In a case where the one to inherit is not of sufficient age, a guardian may be appointed to supervise and govern their decisions until they become of age and legally inherit." Niko read. "But that doesn't help up, the guardian must be an elder relative, of which Lehti only has Ruusu and she's unmarried."

"But does it say anywhere that the guardians must fulfil the strict requirements of inheritance?" Sarah asked with a grin.

After re-reading the entire section again and consulting three other books on laws, Niko eventually leaned back in his chair and smiled across the table at Sarah.

"Well my dear, I do believe you've hit it."

"Ruusu may not be allowed to inherit if single but she can legally be appointed guardian to Lehti until he's of age. That way it's kept within the family and I'm sure Ruusu would rather her brother inherit in her place as opposed to losing the entire estate to Kuori."

"Three advisors I've had working on this all week and you come up with a solution in ten minutes."

"Sometimes it just takes an outside view to see the solution." Sarah said with modesty.  
The modesty did not fool Niko though, he was proud of Sarah and knew she was more than fit for all he had planned. After sending out a proclamation to all of the involved parties, giving his decree on the subject, Niko took the afternoon off to celebrate and took Sarah out for a carriage ride in the pleasant spring sunshine.

The new season was something Sarah had relished when they'd first arrived. The winter of the Labyrinth had lasted longer than Jareth had predicted and it had begun to wear on Sarah. Arriving in Niko's lands and feeling the warm sun on her face had helped ease the pain of leaving her friends, Jareth included, behind. She'd spent the first few days outside, enjoying the lovely spring weather and eagerly exploring the quiet gardens within the castle grounds. Something was missing though. She never felt that peace that she'd experienced in her garden back in the Labyrinth. Getting up at dawn on the third day, she'd hurried out to the most remote of Niko's gardens and closed her eyes to the growing sun, listening instead to the sounds of nature surrounding her. It wasn't the same though. She no longer felt the tension ease from her bones, her mind never let go of its worries and the absence of something vital to her, something that she knew was missing but couldn't identify, was made more apparent than ever.

For a while she put it down to the stress of the move, but now she could no longer deny that Cencia simply did not feel like home the way the Labyrinth had. She was determined to make the most of here life there though. The Aboveground girls visited often, Amber and Hillevi spent a couple of a days a week in Cencia and Sarah made some new friends within the castle, so loneliness was definitely not a factor to her malcontent. Even Jareth visited often, under the pretence of a social visit, but Niko knew he was watching Sarah, seeing how she coped with her removal from the land so much a part of her now, and although he desired to know Jareth's thoughts, Niko never asked for fear of his worries being confirmed.

As for the work problem, that was solved soon enough after Sarah's first assistance to Niko over the inheritance problem. More and more frequently Niko came to Sarah with problems of state, often small things but gradually increasing until Sarah found herself spending most of her time researching the laws, protocol, maps and families of Niko's lands. As the weeks passed Sarah was brought into official meetings with Niko, then was invited to watch the proceedings of Niko's meetings with his various advisors, and finally Sarah became one of them, and yet so much more.  
Sarah remained blissfully unaware of her position, only revelling in her new work, enjoying the learning and rejoicing every time she helped Niko solve a problem. Those around her though, knew the truth. Niko hadn't said a word of his plans but they were clear enough to behold. He wasn't training up an advisor, he was training Sarah to be his Queen. No doubt this prospect would have terrified Sarah had she known, a responsibility like that would seem too much, and yet she was growing into the role at astonishing speed. Nevertheless, all who saw it kept it to themselves, knowing it would be best if Sarah came to the obvious conclusion by herself. Even Amber and Hillevi noticed what was going on and Sarah often caught meaningful glances passed between the two of them, although she could never decipher their meaning.

As the weeks became months, Sarah lost herself in her work and her new life, but the malcontent within her grew at an astonishing rate. At first it was merely a melancholy air about her, then a profound sadness. She spent more and more time out of doors, taking her work out to the gardens, but nothing helped, it simply wasn't the same. Her mind often drifted back to her garden in the Labyrinth and she longed for a visit, to just sit and relax in it once more, but the fear of being trapped there overcame her and she never could risk it. Niko noticed the growing unease but never mentioned it for fear of making it worse. He knew Sarah would come to him if she needed to talk, but as the pain inside her grew, Sarah felt herself becoming distanced from the world around her.  
All the while though, her love for Niko was growing. Her work kept her in his presence often and their evenings together grew all the more tender, despite Niko's respectful ways. Sarah would find herself longing to be in his arms, to feel his warm and tender embrace and the comfort it gave. No longer did they sit opposite each other on an evening, now Sarah lay cradled in his lap and here she found immense happiness. Their kisses were longer, more frequent, more passionate, but it never went further than that, despite Sarah's few attempts to make it so. The couple grew closer and yet both felt an invisible barrier between them, the knowledge of Sarah's pain almost a physical presence, a reminder that things were not as they should be.

After two months had passed, Niko felt the need to consult Jareth on Sarah's behaviour. He'd watched her from his office window that looked out over the gardens. For an hour she'd sat, papers in hand but eyes to the sky, unmoving, lost in her own thoughts, unable to see the world around her. Worry had been growing in Niko's mind and although he knew what Jareth would say, he needed another voice on the matter.

Jareth appeared by his brother's side and joined him in watching Sarah silently for a few minutes, aware of exactly why Niko had called him.

"She's getting worse." Was his first comment.

"Yes." Niko replied. "She barely comes inside now except for meals, sleep and when her work demands it. Hours can pass as she sits there, doing nothing, and she has no memory of the time when I ask her about it. I'm losing her Jareth."

Silence reigned once again, Jareth wondering how he could say what he needed to say without causing his brother pain, but they both knew that wasn't possible.

"The Labyrinth has a claim on her. It marked her months ago and all the time she spent there only increased its power. I was there only thirteen hours the first time, and that was enough to make it impossible to stay away, I cannot imagine how much pain Sarah must be in now. She made it her home, the Labyrinth made her a part of it, to be separated now must be hell."

"So you're saying I've no chance?" Niko asked, his voice tired and weary.

"I'm saying you've very little chance, but you're going to have to fight for her."

These words put the fire back into Niko's heart, anger that Jareth was suggesting he wasn't already fighting.

"She is everything to me..." He began, his voice full of passion.

"Then show her." Jareth said, calmly cutting him off. "In other circumstances this gentlemanly routine would be exactly what is required but times are tough and you need to change with them. Sarah is an Aboveground girl, she's not an innocent. She loves you and you her so protocol be damned. Do whatever you need to do to keep her."

Jareth's voice had risen as he'd spoken, Niko's anger infecting him. What the Labyrinth was doing was unfair. Sarah belonged with Niko, that much was clear. The Labyrinth had no right to interfere and Jareth was determined to make sure it failed in its attempt, determined that Sarah and Niko would be happy together.

Niko remained silent after Jareth's speech, his words ringing in his thoughts, and he had to admit, the thoughts were very pleasant indeed. It was true that he'd been treating Sarah as he would a naive Underground noble woman, but that wasn't the case. She was a unique young woman and the traditional rules did not apply here. Jareth was right, and Niko was determined to do everything he could to fight for her. He would not lose her to the Labyrinth's sadistic designs.

The two kings remained in silence for a while longer, watching the motionless and melancholy girl in the gardens below them before Jareth took his leave and left Niko to his thoughts. Niko wasn't there long though. What Jareth had said made sense and he wasn't about to wait to try it out. Leaving the room he made his way out of the castle and towards the gardens where Sarah sat, lost in her own world. So deep was her preoccupation that she didn't even notice him until he was stood directly over her. When she did eventually move her eyes to look at him, the pain within Niko's heart grew more intense. Her eyes were on him, but her gaze was far, far away, back in the Labyrinth. Anger at the situation that the labyrinth had put them in thundered through the King's veins and he pulled Sarah up from her seat by her arms, kissing her with a passion previously unknown to the both of them. In that kiss was love, lust, hope and desperation. Niko was determined that his actions that night would ground Sarah in his lands and tear the bond that bound her to the Labyrinth. The alternative was simply unthinkable.


	26. Chapter 26

That night Sarah was more alive than Niko had seen her since she had left the Labyrinth. Her eyes, her mind, her soul were focused on him alone and her entire being was filled with such life she almost shone. Later, much later, as they lay in each others' arms, Niko looked at her, smiling. Her own face, more peaceful in sleep than he'd ever seen her here, smiled back at him, a sign of her new inner peace. For the first time since she had begun to grow distracted, Niko had hope that his actions had finally snapped her out of it. And what a way to do it. Niko smiled at the memories of the past few hours, filled with hope for Sarah's future in his lands and filled with joy at the new stage his relationship with her had reached. He too slept peacefully that night, for the first time in months.

The morning, however, brought only clouds. Sarah awoke more sullen than ever. Her reawakening of the previous night had only brought into focus the longing she felt for the lands that had become her home. And now she was aware of her distant behaviour herself. She knew her work was failing day by day, she was losing contact with the few friends she'd made in this land, whilst using crystals to speak with Hillevi and Amber every single day and making them visit often, desperate to cling onto any link with the Labyrinth. Her soul was connected with the maze, it wasn't a desire to return there, it was a need. Yet her new life was here. Whenever she thought of the plans the Labyrinth had for her and Jareth, she resolved not to return there until her need for it was gone. She loved Niko, she would not leave him, she would not allow anything to tempt her back to her old home. And she loved her new life, loved the work when she could concentrate for longer than ten minutes at a time. As for Niko, the more time she spent with him, the deeper their love grew. Their evenings together were the happiest Sarah had ever known, and their nights the most passionate. Every night they would go to bed filled with hope, yet every morning despair would reign once again. It tore Niko apart watching her eyes open every day and instantly her face would fall with the realisation that, once again, she was not within the boundaries of the Labyrinth. Breakfast was strained as Sarah struggled to hold back the tears at her absence from the place she loved, along with those of guilt that she could not be as happy as Niko wished her to be.

Things continued to grow steadily worse. Soon Sarah's appetite began to wane, then it disappeared completely. Niko tried to convince her to eat, but more often than not Sarah's despair was too great to even force food down. Not long after that, her health began to deteriorate. Getting out of bed each morning was a serious struggle, she began to lose weight from lack of eating and bouts of weakness would overtake her. For all the physical signs, it was still the mental ones that were most upsetting. Sarah did no work now, she found it impossible to keep her mind on anything long enough to do so. She stopped going to meetings as she spent the entire time staring out of the window at the gardens outside and afterwards she'd find herself unable to remember a single thing that was said within the room. Her attention would drift even in her conversations with Niko and it was only at night, in bed together, that she seemed truly all there, almost desperate in her attempt to cling to the life she now led. But the smile that had graced her face in her sleep soon turned to tears as Niko watched on, unable to do anything more to help her.

The Aboveground girls' talks and visits were reduced and then prevented all together as Sarah's health and behaviour took a steep decline after each visit, each touch of something linked with the Labyrinth. Soon even Jareth stopped seeing her as his visits had the same effect. He continued visiting his brother, however. He gave him support and advice, but both knew they were fighting a losing battle. In the end, the only advice Jareth could give Niko was this: Don't ever let her go back.

"It'll only do her more harm." He repeated, mere weeks later as they once again sat watching the woman in question. "Any link with the Labyrinth is making her worse, all you can do is keep her away from it and try and keep her busy."

"How?" Niko practically shouted at his brother, knowing deep down that he was only trying to help, but far too frustrated to keep his temper. "She can't focus on anything, any work I give her she forgets about, if I try to speak to her, she gets confused and distracted. I have tried everything to keep her here but she's getting worse, fast."

Jareth was silent as he considered Niko's words. He knew they were true, he could see the evidence himself, just as he knew allowing Sarah back in the Labyrinth would only make things so much worse. Sarah had to be kept away, as much as he and the other girls missed her, it was for her own good. Shaking his head with a sigh, Jareth stood, preparing to take his leave. There were no goodbyes as both brothers knew Jareth would return before long to check on Sarah's health. Instead, he left with a warning.

"I do not know what advice to give you, but if you allow her back in the Labyrinth and then try and bring her back here, it'll destroy her. Keep her away. Things will come to a head soon, whether for good or bad, but whatever happens, keep her away."

Niko heard the immense sorrow in Jareth's warning and knew how much he cared for the mortal girl who had become his friend. He could not understand the pull the Labyrinth had on both his brother and his betrothed, but he could see it clearly in their eyes. Those lands were a part of them and Jareth understood better than he how hard this was for Sarah. If Jareth said to keep her away, then keep her away he would. He just didn't know how long he could stand to watch her like this.

It was the next morning, just over three months after Sarah first moved to Cencia that things finally did come to a head. For weeks she had been having trouble getting out of bed. Her body had thinned from lack of food, her eyes had large black bags underneath them and all her movements suggested an internal weariness that was taking over. That morning she slept much later than usual and then needed Niko's assistance in getting up and dressed, so tired did she feel. After her meagre breakfast she seemed to perk up slightly, but only very slightly, and by noon she was out in the garden as she usually was.

Niko stood at his office window as he so often did, watching her sit in the garden, not moving, staring off into space. What had happened to the strong, independent, passionate woman he'd first brought here? She'd worked harder than any in the Labyrinth and even once she'd moved to his lands she'd lived by Niko's side as a queen. That girl was gone. Niko stood, watching her, struggling with the tears that demanded to pour forth from grief at what her removal from the Labyrinth had done to Sarah. He'd vowed to make her strong again, but he was helpless against the link the Labyrinth had with her. Never in his life had Niko felt such anger. He wanted to destroy the Labyrinth, destroy it as it had destroyed Sarah. But whatever power the Labyrinth had over Sarah, it had the same over Jareth. Niko could not do that to his brother.

As the lunch bell tolled over the castle grounds, Niko saw Sarah rise slowly and begin her unhurried walk towards the castle. He watched her stumble and, unthinking, held out a hand towards her. But she was on the ground and he was in the castle. He watched in horror as her stumble turned to a fall and the fear kept him where he was as he waited for her to get up. Instead, he watched her remain on the ground where she fell, unmoving.

His immobility seemed to last for an eternity, though in reality it was only a few seconds before he snapped out of it and transported himself to Sarah's side, sending out a call for help as he did so. Once he reached his fiancée, Niko pulled her into his arms, terrified to find her unconscious. Calling her name and praying for a response, Niko hurriedly felt for a pulse, forcing himself to calm enough to eventually feel the weak thread of her life beneath her fingers. Her pulse was slow and weak, as was her breathing. No attempts by him could rouse her and when his doctor finally arrived on the scene, his prognosis was unsure. He knew what was causing Sarah's illness, just as Niko did, but neither knew what to do about it.

Jareth's words popped into Niko's head as he watched the doctor shake his head in despair.

"_Things will come to a head soon, whether for good or bad, but whatever happens, keep her away."_

Things had come to a head, and definitely for bad, but he could not keep her away now. Sarah was dying for lack of the Labyrinth and he couldn't watch it any longer. If taking her back meant he was giving her up, then so be it. The thought filled him with grief, but if losing her to the Labyrinth was the only alternative to watching her die, he'd take it. He could not watch Sarah die. He was not strong enough for that.

Shouting at those surrounding him to move away, he got Sarah more firmly in his arms and within moments, he was in her old bedroom in the castle at the centre of the Labyrinth. Jareth was aware of their arrival immediately. An almost physical thrill went through the Labyrinth at the return of her whom it had marked. For it, this was a moment of victory, for Jareth, and indeed Sarah and Niko, it was one of defeat.

Using a crystal, Jareth was instantly at his brother's side, looking down at the woman who now lay on the bed. No words were said between them, it was instantly obvious to Jareth what had happened. For a while, neither of them moved, both consumed with worry for the brave Aboveground girl who had taken on the Labyrinth twice, praying she at least survived this battle, although victory now seemed impossible. As they watched they saw her breathing began to ease, grow deeper and more even. A quick feel of her pulse reassured Niko that she was returning to normal, even her skin visibly regained some colour. Relief washed over both men at Sarah's improvement after only a few minutes. Once it was clear that Sarah was over the worst of it and was now just in a deep sleep, Jareth indicated silently for Niko to follow him. With one last look at his fiancée, he did so.

Both King's were silent as they walked to Jareth's office, neither wanting to think of what Sarah's immediate improvement meant, both knowing it was inevitable. Once they were both seated, silence continued to reign until Jareth eventually broke it, his anger audible in his voice.

"You shouldn't have brought her here." Was all he managed to choke out.

"Jareth you saw her, I..." Niko began, his own temper beginning to heat up.

"Bringing her back here will only make her worse." Jareth cut him off. "She'll use the power of the Labyrinth to heal herself and that'll only increase the strength of the bond between her and this land."

"What else was I supposed to do?" Niko asked, desperate for an answer, knowing there was none to be given.

Jareth sighed before responding.

"I don't know. But bringing her back was a bad idea."

"And leaving her there to die was not an option." Niko's eyes were hot with tears. "When she collapsed her breathing and heartbeat slowed to a point where I could barely detect them. If I'd have left her there she would have died. I know bringing her was a bad idea, of course I know that!" He was shouting now, his helplessness only fuelling his anger. "But your damn Labyrinth caused this problem and it's the only thing that can cure it!"

"The Labyrinth will never give in. In its eyes, it has already won. It has no reason to give in now."

Jareth was managing to keep his own anger under control, but only just. His love for his lands went deep into his soul, but right now he despised it for what it was trying to do. Many times he had been to speak with the spirit of the Labyrinth, tried to reason with it, come up with some solution, each time he had been rebuffed. The essence of this land had an ego that out-sized even the Goblin King's and it would not back down. Amber and Hillevi had begged him to do something as they too had watched Sarah deteriorate, but it didn't change that for the first time in his life, he was powerless. Wrong. The second time. He hadn't been given a choice in coming to rule these lands himself, the Labyrinth had marked him just as it had Sarah. For a second, Sarah's old favourite phrase flashed into his head: It wasn't fair. Despite the gravity of the situation, Jareth couldn't help be laugh as he remembered how naive Sarah had been on her first trip here, and he continued to smile as he thought of how she had changed and everything she had done since.

Seeing his brother smile, Niko's anger abated. He didn't need magic to know what Jareth was thinking. He too was forced to smile as he thought back on the amazing woman Sarah had become in even the short time he had known her. She had already fulfilled so much of her potential, and he knew there was so much more to go. That's why he'd brought her back, that's why he hadn't let her die.

**A/N Thank you to you all once again! Your reviews always make me smile, so I thought I'd give you an early update as a little present. Hope you've enjoyed it.**

**Lablover: Is that quick enough an update? :) Thanks for the kind words!**

** pinkflora: With regards to your comments about the Labyrinth's behaviour, I hadn't actually thought of that but you are so right!**


	27. Chapter 27

Sarah awoke the next morning with a happiness in her heart that she hadn't felt in months. Her face broke into a smile as she recognised her old bedroom and the peace within her soul told her she was back in the Labyrinth. For a few moments her happiness kept her blissfully unaware that there was anyone else in the room. Eventually though, Niko stirred, alerting her to his presence. As Sarah turned to face him, her smile died as she realised the implications of her return.

Niko's face held no joy. He had watched with happiness as hour by hour, Sarah's health had visibly improved during the night. But with every ounce of recovery Sarah took from the Labyrinth, he knew it was another bond between her and these lands, another obstacle between him and his fiancée. Sarah saw all this as she turned to face him. She too knew how much harder her return to Cencia would be now. She considered questioning him on his motives, but she knew how ill she'd been, she knew it was his desperation at her health that had caused him to bring her back. Just as she knew how much she had recovered in the short time she'd been here.

Looking into Niko's eyes, Sarah was overwhelmed with her love for him. Now she was back home, now all distractions were removed, she felt the full force of her feelings and couldn't stop herself from reaching out and embracing him, kissing him as she did so. This was not the passionate kisses they'd shared during their nights in his castle, this was a kiss full of love and it almost brought them both to tears. When Sarah pulled away, she didn't move far. She kept her face only inches away from Niko's looking into his eyes as she said the words that filled her with dread.

"I'm coming back." Her voice was quiet, but full of determination. "I'm going to get well, and then I'm coming back with you. The Labyrinth will not win. We _will_ be together."

Niko smiled at her fervour, but he did not reply, not even to argue. He admired Sarah's passion and strength. He also knew that taking her back was not an option. Taking her back would kill her. But this was not a time for arguments.

As for Sarah, she loved the man in front of her, could not imagine a life without him. That's why she was determined to return with him to his lands. Yet the thought of leaving the Labyrinth behind again filled her with terror. She'd gone almost to the brink of death, only she knew how close she'd really been, and deep inside she knew going back would only take her there again, there and beyond. Denial held sway though, she refused to believe there was no way out of this situation, refused to believe she had to give up Niko. She was Sarah, she had beaten the Labyrinth the first time round, helped restore it the second time, she'd organised an official, formal ball here and worked her way onto Niko's council of advisors in Cencia. She was not willing to have her life manipulated any more by the Labyrinth. It would restore her health and then she _would_ leave. Consequences be damned.

Niko could see the fire return to Sarah's eyes and the sight made him grin. She was back. Their next kiss held a lot more passion. It was also interrupted by an invasion of Aboveground females. Jareth had informed them at breakfast of Sarah's return and they'd all immediately high-tailed it to Sarah's room, not even bothering to knock, so eager were they to see their friend.

They stopped dead in the doorway, stunned to see their much-improved friend kissing her fiancé with such force. Sarah pulled away from Niko and laughed at her friends' sudden entrance. Looking at them she saw the joy in their eyes at seeing her recovery, even the ones who hadn't visited her much in Niko's lands had heard from the others how ill she'd become. Their shock at how much better she looked was clear on their faces, as was their elation at seeing it. And despite the seriousness of the situation, Sarah was elated at seeing them too, she'd missed them. After another few seconds had gone by in stunned silence, Sarah laughed once more.

"Yeah I love you guys too." She said, grinning. "Come on, hugs all around."

That's all the encouragement they needed. Soon Sarah was at the centre of a group hug, even Niko was included, so happy was everyone at seeing Sarah well. Unlike Sarah, Niko and Jareth, the girls didn't appear to have realised the negative implications of Sarah's return to health. And Sarah certainly wasn't going to remind them.

Once the huge hug was over, the girls began bombarding Sarah with questions and Niko decided it was time to go get her food, a pathetic excuse to get away from the gossiping females, but there was some truth in it. As soon as Niko was gone, Hillevi grabbed Sarah in another strong hug.

"Oh I'm so glad you're well again." She said, her words trembling slight as she remembered how awful Sarah had looked the last time she'd seen her.

"We all are." Amber added kindly.

"Me too." Sarah added, smiling bravely despite the fear that lay in her heart

"So what happened?" Kerry asked, her voice quiet as always, but full of concern.

"I collapsed." Sarah said simply, not really wanting to go over it. "Niko thought it would be best to bring me here to recover. I missed you guys all so much."

"We missed you too Sarah, you've missed so much work. Elissa, tell her about the improvements to the junk yard."

This last came from Hannah, the true mother of the group. When Sarah looked towards her, grateful for the change of subject, she caught a look in Hannah's eyes that said she understood the situation perfectly. There was concern there, sympathy, and even a little pity. Surprisingly, this last emotion didn't annoy Sarah, it was nice to know that she understood, that when the time came, Hannah would be able to explain to the others what was really happening.

Neither woman was given time to dwell on it though, Elissa needed no more encouragement and immediately began rambling about her 'epic project' as she'd called it, to make the junk yard more useful and efficient. The rest of the morning was lost to catching up, only interrupted when Gree appeared carrying the breakfast Niko had asked him to bring Sarah when he'd run into him on his way to the dinning room. Gree wasn't too happy at the request, but ran off to do it anyway, happy to be serving his beloved Sarah again. He was one of many residents of the Labyrinth that had missed Sarah, she'd been such a big part of their lives and had caused so much change, she'd left a big space when she'd moved away. There were smiles on many faces that day, not least of all Sarah's original friends; Sir Didymus, Ludo and of course Hoggle, all of who joined her that morning.

As for Niko, he spent the morning at the breakfast table with his brother.

"You escaped then?" Jareth asked, grinning as his brother entered the room.

"How do you put up with all those women living here?" Niko asked, feigning exhaustion and taking a seat.

Jareth laughed as his question, remembering how much energy the group had when something excited them, acknowledging his own need to be alone when it happened.

"Well they're not usually as energized as this." He answered. "Most of them time they act like normal human beings. But get them all wound up like this and a hasty retreat is usually the best option."

Niko nodded his head in response, quickly gathering himself a large breakfast. Being awake all night had done wonders for his appetite, despite his constant worry. As Niko began eating, Jareth studied him thoroughly. Sarah's illness had taken a toll on his brother. Worry had eaten away at him and Jareth knew the only reason he was eating so heartily now was the temporary relief at Sarah's recovery. But the future did not look bright. Sarah was going to have to remain here for a while, she was nowhere near healthy yet, she still had a lot of recuperation to go. Niko couldn't leave his lands unattended, he was still King, and during his preoccupation with Sarah, he had let things slip recently. Work was piling up and he'd have to return today to stop things getting any worse. Niko and Sarah would be apart, Jareth knew how painful that was going to be for the both of them.

The two brothers spent the rest of the morning discussing the business of their own Kingdom's, keeping the subjects neutral and away from Sarah's predicament, but it was always there at the back of their minds. Seeing Sarah's personality return to the strength it had been before had made them both realise how much she'd lost in her absence, both King's resolved that it would not happen again, no matter what it cost them.

At noon the Aboveground girls turned up for lunch before going back to their work. Niko returned to his fiancée's side, spending a little time with her before reluctantly returning to his own castle in an attempt to catch up with his work. Once he'd left, Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus took his place, having been given the afternoon off by Jareth to entertain their friend in her recuperation. This left Jareth alone.

Returning to his office, Jareth spent the next few hours going over the problem at hand. He'd seen the sorrow in Niko's eyes when he'd gone to say farewell to Sarah, known how much it must hurt them both to be so far apart. Looking into the future, Jareth saw only continued separation, or worse, the death of Sarah. He knew that Sarah could not remain here long. The Labyrinth had no conscience, one way or another, through who knows what diabolical deeds, the Labyrinth would force him and Sarah to marry if she stayed. That was not an option. Neither was Sarah leaving. So what else was left?

Jareth's thinking continued all through the afternoon and into the evening. At first, the solution was only a speck of an idea at the edge of his consciousness, something he was not even willing to consider. As the hours wore on though, the idea grew larger, grew brighter, grew more solid. Jareth's mind went round in circles, thinking of every possible way out of the situation, but each time he came to a dead end. And with each dead end, that other idea moved closer to the front of his mind, moved closer to a real possibility.

For hours Jareth sat and paced alternatively, sometimes lost in silence, sometimes ranting out loud against the mess his own Labyrinth had placed them all in. His inability to find a resolution to their problem was beyond frustrating and every time his little idea came to the surface he pushed it down with ever increasing rage. That was not the answer. That would never be the answer. That was admitting defeat just the same as if they gave into the Labyrinth's plans for Sarah and Jareth to marry and the Goblin King would be damned if he let the Labyrinth win. Yet each time his stubbornness took over the sight of Sarah's body and mind wasting away in her self-imposed exile from the Labyrinth assaulted his mind. Would letting her die be any less of a defeat? Could he even bear to watch that happen?

When Sarah had first returned to the Labyrinth she had thought of Jareth as the enemy and he'd viewed her as a spoiled, selfish girl. Their views of each other had changed more quickly than either could have imagined. Sarah had realised the Goblin King was not her enemy, he was a kind, generous King, he cared for his lands and his people and, more importantly, it had not been his decision to force her back there. As for Jareth's view of the Aboveground girl, he soon realised she was so much more than that. She was a strong, intelligent woman with an incredible imagination. She excelled at every task he set her and they had worked together well. More than that, they had become friends. Through all their time together they'd grown close, Jareth already viewed her as the sister she would inevitably become and the thought of losing her, of watching her fade away in his brother's lands for want of his own, caused him intense pain. He knew that was the future they were all facing. Sarah would never leave Niko, no matter how desperate things got, no matter how hard everyone would try and convince her to return to the Labyrinth for her own health, once Sarah returned to Niko's lands, she would never return here.

Once this realisation hit him, there was no denying it. For her love of Niko, Sarah would gladly give up her life. Anger raged within Jareth once more and he resumed his pacing. Sarah was too strong to be reduced to that fate, she had too much potential, there was too much she had yet to do. She was Fae now, there was no doubting that. Her powers had been the first sign, the way other Underground subjects accepted her was another. And finally, the nature of her illness, so similar to a Fae's fading, was the ultimate proof that she was wholly Fae now. This meant she was immortal. She had the fire in her soul to survive for a millennia and Jareth felt a fierce pride in his heart as he thought of all the work she could do in that time. No, Sarah's death was not an option. But the alternative? Almost as unthinkable.

His own thought stopped him mid-stride. That one word, so pivotal to what he'd said, stunned him with it's implications. Almost. It was not just Sarah's life that hung in the balance, it was all of them. If Sarah died, what would be left of Niko? A broken shell. Love like that did not occur twice in the same life time. Without Sarah, Niko would be lost. Thinking of the effect on his brother, Jareth felt pain himself. And then there were Niko's lands. He would be in no fit state to rule for a long time, his entire Kingdom and all its occupants would suffer, one way or another, from a lack of a ruler. As would the Labyrinth. Niko would be losing a wife, Jareth would be losing a sister, neither would be focussed on their kingdoms. Then there was Sarah's friends, she'd touched the lives of so many people in her time Underground, all would mourn her passing with deep grief. So in comparison, was the alternative so unthinkable? No. The answer was quiet simply no.

Sorrow washed over him as he realised he had made his decision. That small speck of an inconceivable idea was now his full blown solution. And he would take it. It would be with a heavy heart, but he would take it. With the sorrow came also relief. Relief that the worry and the uncertainty was now over. Relief that Sarah was safe now. The two emotions struggled for dominance but the decision was made and there was no turning back. Now all he had to do was put things into motion. First, he had to visit Sarah. And that was not a talk he was looking forward to.

**A/N So do you hate me yet? :p I contemplated continuing, but this was the natural ending to the chapter. The next will be up in a few days so I hope you'll forgive me.**

**To all those who read and especially those who review, many thanks are coming your way! The end is nigh(ish) so thank you for sticking with it this long.**

**Shadowsnight: Answers are coming very soon...**

**Lablover: Have faith in Jareth, he has a solution...**


	28. Chapter 28

Sarah's eyes opened wide with fear as the meaning of Jareth's words slowly sank in. She'd spent a lot of the afternoon sleeping and had awoken late in the evening to find the Goblin King sat by her bed. At first she was happy to see him, she'd missed him in the months she'd been away, but the sorrow in his eyes soon turned her happiness to fear. As Jareth had begun speaking, that fear had grown. Now, as she began to understand his intentions, the fear had turned to horror.

"Jareth... no." Her voice was barely a whisper, her lungs refusing to give her the air she needed to make a stronger denial.

"Sarah..." Jareth began, struggling to make her understand.

"No!" This time her words had power to them. "You can't, Jareth! This is your world, your land, your people..."

"And this is your life!" Jareth cut her off, his emotions running just as high as hers. "I tried to stay away from this land when it called me and I couldn't. You've tried and neither can you. Don't lie to me Sarah, don't look me in the eye and tell me you're fine again because you're not. You're dying."

Sarah had nothing to say to that. She knew it was true, she didn't have the strength to deny it anymore. Despite her best efforts, she could not escape the Labyrinth. Her absence from it had been literally killing her.

"I can't leave Niko." There were tears in her eyes and her voice was quiet, though there was still a strength to her words.

"I know." Was Jareth's equally quiet reply. "But you can't stay there with him either."

"Don't ask me to do that, don't ask me to leave him!" The tears were increasing now, through both pain and anger, Sarah couldn't tell which was stronger.

"Don't ask me to watch you die Sarah. Don't ask me to sit here and watch you fade. You're Fae now. When the Labyrinth marked you, it made you Fae, that's where your powers came from. There's a link between you and this land that is almost physical and being away from here is killing you. If you stay away much longer you'll lose your will to hang onto this life and you will fade away. I cannot stand by and watch that happen."

"But I'm supposed to watch you do it instead?" Sarah shouted back.

For that's what he was suggesting. Jareth's solution was simply that; he faded instead of her. If he faded there would be no barriers against Sarah ascending the throne, the Labyrinth had marked her as Queen and Queen she would be. With Jareth gone there was no one she could be forced to marry, instead she would be free to marry Niko as planned. Once married they would merge the two Kingdoms and Niko could move to the castle at the centre of the Labyrinth. As King of both lands, just as she would be Queen of both lands, they could rule over the Labyrinth and Cencia side by side whilst Sarah would not have to leave the land that had such a hold over her. In theory, Jareth's plan was perfect. Of course, Jareth's solution had a price.

"You don't get to watch me die but I have to watch you, is that it?" Sarah continued, distraught.

Tears were streaming down her face now and Sarah was not only incapable of controlling them, she didn't care to. What Jareth was proposing was unthinkable. She knew she had to talk him out of it, but her mind wouldn't give her the words that were necessary to do so. All she could feel was the pain of losing him.

"Jareth you're my best friend, and I didn't even fully realise that until now, but you are. And you're Niko's brother. Neither of us can bear to lose you, why can't you see that?"

"And do you think either of us could bear to lose you?" Jareth questioned.

"It's not about losing me, you don't have to lose me." Sarah protested out of habit.

"But we will. If you don't stay here you will fade Sarah. You'll fade and you'll die." There were tears in Jareth's eyes now, but whether they were tears of grief or tears of anger, he couldn't tell. "And the only way you could stay here is if you married me and then we'd all lose. I'd lose Niko as a brother, he'd never forgive me. You'd lose your soul mate and as for us two..." He paused to let the inevitable pain of such a future roll over the incredible woman in front of him. "The anger and resentment would grow until there was nothing left of who we are right now. There's no happiness for you here if I don't go, and no life for you if you leave."

"So it's you or me..." Sarah said quietly, the truth of his words and the pain that went with them finally beginning to sink in.

"Yes."

"But you've ruled these lands for years..."

"And you've done more good for them in the short time you were here than I ever could." The Goblin King interrupted.

"I worked in the Labyrinth Jareth, I could not rule it." She shot back, anger stirring deep inside her.

Jareth laughed in response to this, but there was a melancholy to it. Sarah truly could not see just how amazing she was, she was modest to a fault, but she was exactly what this land needed.

"You're wrong Sarah." He said quietly, smiling sadly at the woman before him. "You were helping me rule these lands long before you left with Niko and you lived by his side as his Queen and fellow ruler there, before you got sick. You're ready and more than able to be Queen here Sarah, all you need is the will. Besides, you won't be ruling alone. Once I'm gone you can merge my lands with Niko's, he can move here and you'll rule together."

"Well why not do that now? Merge the lands..."

"Only by marriage can two realms be joined." Jareth answered, sadly.

"Then step down, make me Queen in name. I'll marry Niko, we'll merge the lands and you can rule as you always have but I'll have Niko and his lands will be part of these lands so I won't have to leave."

"I'm King, Sarah, this is not a position I can leave. I was given power when elevated to ruler, just as you were given power when you were marked. These powers cannot be taken back. The elevation cannot be reversed."

"Jareth there has to be a way..." Sarah's words trailed off as the grief took over.

She was desperate now, looking for any way out, but they had exhausted all the options. Jareth was right, it was him or her. Sarah had no wish to die, but she felt like an imposter, a usurper of Jareth's rightful lands. It hadn't been his idea to bring her here, nor had it been his decision for her to be marked. They were both pawns in the Labyrinth's sick game and there would be no happy ending. This wasn't like Sarah's first run through the Labyrinth; she'd won Toby back then, but there would be no victory for her this time. There would be no victory for anyone, not even the Labyrinth. That was one good thing at least, although it would be cold comfort indeed to whoever was left behind once this game was over.

"Neither of us can leave and we can't both stay. I've had my turn, now it's your chance to show how truly an amazing Queen you can be."

"But it was too short Jareth, your turn was far too short."

"Well I'm not going to argue with you there." Jareth said with a quiet laugh. "But life's not fair," He continued, mocking her gently with her old phrase. "that's just the way it is. You've got the chance to combine two great Kingdom's and improve them both. I have no doubt in your capability to do so."

Sarah didn't have as much faith in herself as he did, but she was too weak to argue any longer, both physically and mentally. She'd exhausted all she could say. Jareth had made up his mind and there was no arguing with the Goblin King. She only hoped she'd be as strong as him when she was the Goblin Queen. As the thought passed through her head she realised she'd accepted Jareth's proposal and in that instant the grief and guilt washed over her in an uncontrollable wave, leaving her weeping almost hysterically in Jareth's arms as he struggled to stay strong for the challenge ahead. He still had to tell his brother.

Sometime during her bout of tears, Sarah's exhaustion had overwhelmed her and she'd fallen asleep. Jareth watched her for a while, her head now resting on his lap, and he thought about what he was about to do. He was not a selfless man by nature, the Labyrinth did not breed selfless rulers, it gave them almost everything they wanted and taught them to take it all. But he was a compassionate man. He loved his brother and he loved this wonderful girl in the same way; friend, sister. He loved his lands, he loved his people and he loved being their ruler, but it was not worth the price the Labyrinth was asking him for. He would not watch Sarah die. Neither would he bring her back to the Labyrinth and marry her, destroying all three of them in the process. There was only one solution, and as much as he hated even the thought of it, his love for his brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law, overwhelmed his own selfish urges. That wasn't to say the task ahead would be easy, but his love for what he left behind would take him through it. For now, he wouldn't think of it. Now it was time to go through this scene again, but this time with his brother, and he was not looking forward to it.

He remained where he was for a while longer, watching the sleeping girl, thinking of all the good things that would come out of his death. Inevitably though, the sorrow soon began to creep in again and take over. He knew it was time. Gently standing up and replacing Sarah's head on the chair, Jareth placed a kiss on her forehead and took the opportunity to go speak to his brother, leaving a note for Sarah to inform her where he was.

Sarah didn't sleep long, the grief was too much to be contained within sleep for any amount of time. When she awoke a panic gripped her, fear that Jareth had already done the unthinkable act. She soon spotted his letter, however, and was reassured that, for now, he was still here. It did nothing to ease the pain within her though. Soon he would be gone. Soon she would lose her best friend. Soon her fiancé would lose his brother. The tears gathered in her eyes once more, tears of grief, tears of guilt, tears at the absolute hopelessness of the situation they were all facing. Jareth's solution made sense but it wasn't fair. None of this was fair. Why should he have to fade away just so she could live. The guilt washed over her stronger than ever. It was all her fault...

The thought left her feeling cold, yet soon that feeling changed. Her tears dried up and her grief receded. It was still there, at the back of her mind, a cold knot in her heart, but a new emotion had taken over. Anger. Her old mantra began repeating in her head.

"It's not fair. It's not fair. It's not..."

Well it bloody wasn't fair, and childish or not, she knew it to be true. She hadn't made the choice to come here and neither had Jareth. She hadn't decided to be marked, nor had Jareth told the Labyrinth to mark her. Her whole existence here had been dictated by a sentient maze and now its decisions had led to Jareth's death.

The anger was whole now, consuming her in a red fury as an almost visible crimson glaze came over her eyes. There was only one being responsible for the mess they were all in and Sarah was damned if she'd take the blame for something she had no control over.

Her weakness was gone now, her exhaustion receding with every moment as her rage grew. She didn't have a clue as to what she was intending on doing, but she knew she had to try at least. With a cry of anger she leaped from the chair and ran out of the room, barely thinking of where she was going, simply following an inbuilt desire to reach the true centre of the Labyrinth.

She soon found herself at the door that could only be opened with a crystal and didn't even pause as she created one of her own, hurling it at the door which disappeared mere moments before she ran through it. She couldn't count the amount of times she almost fell down the steps on the other side, but she didn't care. So great was her anger, she couldn't even slow for prudence sake, all she did was create another crystal to give her some light. She managed to reach the bottom safely and continued her mad dash down the long, cold, stone corridor until she finally reached the large, wooden door that opened onto the room in which she could speak to the spirit of the Labyrinth. Only then did she stop, giving her tired body time to recover before the final confrontation. Gradually her breathing slowed, but her anger abated not one bit, if anything, it only increased with her close proximity to the cause of her troubles.

Eventually her breathing returned to normal and, taking a deep breath to help centre herself, Sarah discarded her crystal of light, opened the door and stepped into the room to face the Labyrinth. Again.

The room looked almost exactly as it had the only other time she'd been there, bare and cold. The only difference was there were fewer cracks in the floor and roof, proof of how the work of the girls still resident in the Labyrinth was continuing to repair the damage caused by the Aboveground loss of imagination and belief in magic. The crystal in the centre of the room had not changed though. It still startled Sarah with its beauty, it still induced awe as she looked at it, but the varicoloured flames no longer gave her any positive feelings, it only served to increase her rage at its actions. That such a physically beautiful thing could cause such pain. It really wasn't fair.

The Labyrinth made no acknowledgement of Sarah's presence, but it knew she was there. Sarah had no doubt about that. Just as it knew what Jareth was planning to do, just as it knew of all that was said and done within its realm. But it could not read thoughts. The essence of the Labyrinth had no clue as to what Sarah intended, nor had it any protection against it. The Labyrinth's protection lay in the love of the land it induced in those that resided in and ruled over it. For Sarah, that love had turned to hate.

"You realise where your actions have led us?" She accused the Labyrinth with venom in her voice.

"_If you had followed my wishes..._" The Labyrinth began.

Its voice filled her head, using more than just words to try and bring her around to its way of thinking. There was a power to its words, but Sarah's anger kept her strong.

"If we had followed your wishes there would be no happiness left in the Labyrinth. The resentment it would have bred between Jareth, Niko and myself would have spread throughout the land and destroyed everything we have fought to build!"

Sarah's voice contained its own power, its own magic, but it was a power she was willing to give back. Or trade.

"You say you want what's best for your lands, but you do not take into consideration that you're playing with people's lives." Sarah continued, not giving the Labyrinth time to respond. "These people have their own thoughts and feelings and you cannot bend them to your will. The fates of Jareth and myself were headed in different directions and by attempting to force them together all you did was wrench them further apart!"

Sarah had to take a steadying breath at this point as the grief began to come to the fore once again, but she forced it back down, allowing her anger to take over once again. The Labyrinth did not try to speak, curious as to what Sarah was coming to.

"You marked me, which has made me unable to leave. Yet I love Niko, so I cannot stay here with Jareth. You know what Jareth's planning to do. You know what all your scheming has led him to. His death will be on your hands."

Sarah's last sentence was spoken with a malice she had never felt before in her life and the slight flicker in the flames within the crystal before her told her that at least some of what she was saying was getting through to the Labyrinth.

"You are the only one that has put us in this situation, just as you are the only one that can get us out of it."

Here it was, the reason she was here, the reason she'd come to speak to the being she now despised.

"Unmark me." The hope flared within her as she said the words, desperate to hear the reply she desired. "Take my powers, turn me human again, remove the mark that keeps me here. Let me leave, move away to Niko's lands. Jareth still has the other girls, the Labyrinth is still regenerating through their work. If I leave, Jareth can stay, he can be happy and so can Niko and I. The Labyrinth will continue to grow and improve, Jareth is an incredible King and you know this is the only solution that makes sense. Take it back. Remove the mark and let us all live."

There was a plea in her voice, as well as a demand. She didn't care that she sounded desperate, she also knew her anger gave power to her words and she would be obeyed! If there was a way out of this, she would make the Labyrinth take it. Surely it wasn't stupid enough to let Jareth sacrifice himself just to not give in?

For a while after her speech, silence reigned in the room. Looking at the flickering flames within the crystal, Sarah knew the Labyrinth was thinking over all she had said, so she gave it the time it needed to come to the correct conclusion. No matter how much she wanted to scream at it. Eventually, the light within the crystal grew brighter and the Labyrinth began to speak.

"_When I marked you I gave you power, I turned you Fae. That is not a gift that I, nor Jareth, nor any in the Underground have the power to undo. You are Fae, you are marked, you belong in this Kingdom. Had I the power to undo what I did, I would not, yet it matters not, there is no going back_."

Sarah's mind rebelled against the Labyrinth's words, but her heart heard the truth of them. Despair washed over her as her last and only solution slipped through her hands. But there were no tears this time, there was no time for tears. The Labyrinth saw her grief as weakness, it thought it could use it as leverage. It wasn't finished yet.

"_Jareth does not have to die Sarah. You two are close, there is a future for you. Together you can make a marriage work. Together you can make this land great again!"_

Sarah's anger began to rise again, growing in intensity with every word the Labyrinth spoke.

"_Forget Niko, you are greater than him. These lands and your work here are greater than him. Come back, marry Jareth, fulfil your destiny_."

Sarah was shaking with rage by this point, unable to understand how anything could be as unfeeling as the Labyrinth, how anything could think it wielded that much power over her life and over the lives of Jareth and Niko. Niko was right, its world views were more than a little distorted and it was all Sarah could do to not give it some perspective. Her tenuous grip on her temper went out the window at the Labyrinth's next words.

"_Do not let Jareth die for your own selfish desires_."

Something inside Sarah snapped. Something vital to her self-control. The red mist that had come over her earlier now blinded her. The rage consumed her in its fire and her actions were not the result of conscious thought, they were a product of her emotions and no longer under her control. With a scream of mingled rage and grief, Sarah lashed out. With all her power, all her magic and all her strength, she struck out at the Labyrinth. It was her fist that collided with the crystal, but it was her internal power that caused it to shatter. The essence of the Labyrinth was shared throughout its entire land, but the crystal was its centre, its focus. Cut out the heart and the human will die. So it was for the spirit of the Labyrinth. When Sarah directed all her magic at the crystal, it destroyed something critical within the Labyrinth.

What happened after that, none could accurately tell. For Sarah, it felt as though a void had opened up in the room, sucking all warmth, life and air out of it. For the few seconds she remained conscious, struggling to breathe as the room was plunged into pitch darkness and the thunderous sound of cracking rock echoed all around her. Then there was only darkness and silence.

For those outside of that room, the effects differed wildly. For those areas created entirely by the Labyrinth and its magic, obliteration was the result. Large portions of the Labyrinth disappeared as its creator was destroyed, bare tracts of land were left behind and the creatures in them stared about in fear and bewilderment.

In the areas created by hand by the hard work of the Goblins, barely any changes took place. The light seemed to dim and life seemed to go out of the walls around them, but the scenery remained unchanged, all that was left was an uneasy feeling that things would never be the same again, and none knew whether that was good or bad.

Within the castle, the effects were the same. Only Jareth, so strongly connected to the Labyrinth, knew what had happened and as the spirit of the land died, something inside him went out. A sorrow gripped him, almost a grief, as if someone he had cared for had died. But besides that, stronger than that, was a feeling of relief, a sense of freedom he hadn't felt since before he first came there as a boy. The shackles that bound his will to that of the Labyrinth were gone. This didn't mean he was no longer connected to it, the land held him like it always had, his love for it was still overwhelming, but gone was the dictator-like essence that had controlled it. The Labyrinth was free to be whatever any that were willing to work on it wished.

As for Niko, he barely noticed the change around him. He wasn't from this land, he was less in touch with what happened within it than its residents were. On top of that, he was more than a little distracted at what Jareth had been saying. At first Niko had sat in silence as he listened to his brother outline what he was going to do and how it was the only option. For a while he had remained in shock, then, once Jareth had stopped speaking, he went into denial. He refused to believe he was having to choose between his brother and his future wife, let alone believe the choice had already been made for him. He'd ranted and raved for the whole time Sarah had been speaking to the Labyrinth, going over all the possible options before discounting them himself yet insisting there had to be another way out of it. Sarah had chosen grief, Niko chose denial, both ended with anger. It was only as Jareth's head snapped back and his eyes gazed out into the distance, that Niko realised something within the Labyrinth had changed. He didn't know what that was though, and despite his repeated questions to Jareth, the Goblin King remained silent, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

The smile only served to further anger Niko, what could Jareth possibly have to smile about? But Jareth had everything to smile about. The destruction of the spirit of the Labyrinth had not changed their situation, both Sarah and Jareth were unable to leave the Labyrinth. Sarah could not leave Niko and, even though the Labyrinth was no longer sentient and couldn't force her and Jareth to marry, she couldn't live here whilst her husband lived in another Kingdom. She needed more than that. She deserved better than that. So the result was still the same, but the future was different. As Sarah began to regain consciousness, her mind was linked with Jareth's in a way it had never been before. They both knew that Jareth was still going to fade, that he needed to fade to allow everyone's happiness to continue, yet they both knew things were going to be different from now on. No longer would these lands be controlled by a self-centred, egotistical, tyrant power. Never again would people be dragged away from their lives to fulfil its will. There would be no more markings, the rulers of the future would chose to love this land for what it was, not because their souls were linked to it by force. The Aboveground girls would have more work to do now to restore the Labyrinth to its former glory, but the work would be all the more rewarding as it came purely from hard work and imagination. Both Sarah and Jareth knew that more Aboveground people would come here and decide to remain, continuing the work when the original girls eventually left it behind. But that would be their choice. That was the gift that Sarah had given to those who lived in the Labyrinth, the choice to govern their own lives. That was the cause of the smile of Jareth's face, and with the aid of a little magic, Niko soon understood it too. The same melancholy smile graced his own face. Sorrow at the inevitability of Jareth's fading, but joy at the hope that the future now held. Unfortunately, the cause for sorrow was the more immediate future.

As the brothers looked into each others' eyes, they knew there were no more words to be said, they had already said all that was needed. Both denial and anger had passed from Niko's mind, now only sorrow and hope remained. The brothers embraced for the longest time, knowing this would be their last opportunity to do so. Once they finally found the strength to pull away their only words were Jareth's request for Niko to tell Sarah his goodbye and apologise for his not doing it in person. Niko gave him his word with a voice that was less than steady. After one last shared look, Jareth closed his eyes, and with a smile on his face, he began to fade.

Niko was left standing alone in the Goblin King's office, unable to fully process what had happened. Mere seconds later he used his own magic to guide him to Sarah. He needed her, just as she needed him.

Sarah had awoken to a room filled with darkness. Not a chink of light penetrated this far below the castle and the only light source had been that from the crystal, now that had been extinguished, shadows reigned. Slowly getting to her feet, fearful of the consequences of her actions, Sarah hesitantly produced a crystal of light. To an outsider, there would have been no difference, but Sarah noticed the extra effort she'd had to put into using magic. No longer would it be a natural, instinctive process, from now on she would have to work at her magic. But that's what would make it all the more rewarding. The light itself looked exactly the same, but the power came directly from Sarah now, no longer was it channelled through the spirit of the Labyrinth.

Sarah remained standing where she was for a few moments, trying to come to terms with what she'd done, only broken out of her reverie by the sound of shoes clattering down the stairs at the end of the corridor. Seconds later Niko burst into the room, stopping at the sight of her. There was a calmness to her that he hadn't seen since she'd been a permanent resident of the Labyrinth. She belonged here, truly belonged here. These lands were a part of her soul, and without the sentient control, these lands gave her peace once again. A smile broke out on Niko's face as he looked at his future wife and he couldn't help but close his eyes and whisper his thanks to the gift Jareth had given them both.

Sarah saw his lips move, heard his words, and she knew Jareth was gone. Gone then, was her calm composure and as the tears began to fall from her eyes, Niko took her in his arms and let his own tears flow.

Neither of them knew how long they stood there in each others' arms, giving vent to their grief at their loss. Yet the tears could not last forever and eventually thoughts of the future began to creep into their sorrow. The Goblin King was gone, but the Goblin Queen now reigned, and in her was the hope for a bright future for the Labyrinth and all who needed it.

The Labyrinth would continue, joy would flow through the land, Sarah and Niko would bring the combined Kingdom's to new heights of glory. And the memory of Jareth would live on. His legacy, his gift; the world that would be and the happiness his death had allowed. His rule had been short, but his work; glorious. Now it was Sarah's turn...

**A/N And so it ends... or begins. I want to say a huge thank you to all of my readers and an even bigger to one to everyone who's left me reviews, the response to this story has been overwhelming! Yes I know you probably don't like me too much now, but I never promised a happy ending and I really hope you've enjoyed it anyway :)**

**There's already other stories on my profile if you're looking for more and I'll be starting a new one very soon, it's not a Labyrinth fanfic, but if you're interested in my writing, keep an eye out for it.**

**Until then, take care, and thank you once again.**


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